A Twist of Fate
by keelhaulrose
Summary: Hermione had just broken up with Ron. Jacob was just about ready to concede defeat to Edward. Then a work assignment brings Hermione to La Push. What will happen when a rouge vampire, a bad injury, and fate throws them together?
1. Chapter 1

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**A/N: Hey, everyone. Beyond my better judgement I've decided to start a new story. The plot bunny for this one dug into my brain and refused to leave, so I've been working on it for the last couple days. **

**I've never written a multi-chapter POV fic before. This will be an adventure, hopefully a good one. Tell me what you think.**

**Here's everyone's favorite part, the disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight. They belong to JKR and Stephanie Meyer, plus WB and Summit entertainment and all that. I am not profiting, I own nothing but the plot and a couple OCs that may pop up.**

**As always, enjoy and please review!**

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(Hermione's POV)

I am in big bloody trouble.

As much as I'd like to blame it on my selfish, irritating, ex-fiancé it was just as much my fault. I didn't have to start shouting back in the middle of the lunch rush at the Ministry cafeteria. But I let my semi-famous temper get the best of me, and I engaged in the fight he was looking for.

At least we finally admitted that it was over . It was over a long time ago, but neither of us was ready to give it up. We were the Golden Couple. Everyone was rooting for our Happily Ever After. How could we just give that up? For two years, since he put that ring on my finger, it has been a nonstop cycle of fighting, makeup sex, happiness for a couple weeks, then another huge fight. Over and over. I wonder how much happiness there really was. I mean, I am the one who kept putting off the wedding. The wedding that will never happen.

But I shouldn't have ended it in the middle of such a large group of people. And I really shouldn't have ended it in front of people I work with. And I really, really shouldn't have ended it in front of the Minister of Magic, the man I'm walking to go see now. The man who is going to hand me my arse on a silver platter, garnished with a side of pink slip. I love my job as an attorney with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I helped re-write laws concerning certain creatures, mainly house-elves and werewolves. It was what I could picture myself doing for years before a promotion would hopefully be thrown my way. Instead I'm losing it all over a dumb fight with Ronald Bilius Weasley.

"Go right in, he's expecting you," a pretty redheaded secretary smiled at me as I approached.

"Thank you," I muttered, my stomach knotting itself so many times I'm sure there won't be anything left by the time I leave this meeting. I knocked three times on the door, softer than usual, hoping he didn't hear me.

"Come in," Kingsley's deep baritone responded.

Damn. I opened the door and walked inside

"Ah, Ms Granger," he smiled, looking up at me and placing his quill down. "Have a seat. Tea?"

"No thanks," I managed, sliding into the chair opposite him.

"Quite a show you and Ron put on the other day," he chuckled, folding his hands and placing them on the desk.

"I'm really sorry about that!" I blurted, desperate. "It was really stupid, it's the same thing we always fight about, and we should have waited until the end of the day, but he came for lunch and started making snide remarks and one thing led to another and I really don't want to lose my job..."

"Calm down, Hermione," he held up a hand. "That was merely an observation of an old friend. I have no intentions of firing you. The fight just seemed particularly bad, and I wanted to make sure you are okay."

My mouth dropped in shock. "I'm okay," I whispered. "It's over for good this time. I gave him his ring back."

"I noticed you weren't wearing it."

"I've never given it back before. But it was time. I promise nothing like this will ever happen again. I really am very sorry."

"I'm glad to hear you're okay, and your fight does have something to do with why I called you in here, though it is hardly to take your job from you. You are far too valuable to fire over something like an embarrassing incident in the cafeteria. But I was thinking that you may need some time somewhere else."

"You mean like a vacation?" I squirmed in my seat.

"Not exactly. I have a bit of a request from the American Ministry. It seems like there is a large pack of shape-shifters in the Northwest part of the country. A local tribe of boys that can shift into giant wolves. There have been several Muggle disappearances in the area in the past few months, and they wish to place them on the extremely-dangerous creatures list, giving any witch or wizard who happens to encounter them free reign to use extreme force in protecting themselves."

"Did you say boys?" I asked, confused.

"The best intelligence suggests none of them are older than their mid-twenties, and several are purported to be teenagers," he nodded.

"They're suggesting open-season on a bunch of teenagers?" I shouted, outraged.

"I knew that would be your reaction," he said with a calm smile. "You are aware of the situation the Americans are now in."

"Of course. No creature may be given a four or five X ranking on the Ministry of Magic classification without a thorough review by an expert from another Ministry or a representative appointed by said Ministry."

"Might you see where this is going?" he smiled.

The realization dawned on me. "Are you asking me to be that representative?" I asked, hiding my excitement.

"No one in your department is as experienced handling high-stress situations, making observations and writing anecdotal notes, and is as aware of the rules as you. I think you'd be the perfect candidate."

"How long do you think it would take?" I asked, trying to sound like I was actually going to think about it, and not screaming 'yes' and running to get an International Portkey set up.

"As long as it takes for you to feel comfortable in your decision. They have the right to appeal, but I know the esteem they hold you in, and will more likely than not to take any suggestion you are willing to give them. I'd like to make your findings iron-clad, as we're still trying to rebuild our reputation after the whole Voldemort mess."

I sighed. This was part of being the female third of the damn Golden Trio. We're always expected to be the happy face of the Ministry, taking jobs that paid three times what the average starting salary was to make sure we're aligning ourselves with the place we had so distrusted, all for the sake of looking good to the outside world. I love my job, so I keep quiet, but the Ministry has been trying to put itself back into place ever since the Battle of Hogwarts exposed it as a corrupt, easily infiltrated organization. Kingsley spent the first year cleaning house, then the last two and a half years trying to regain some of our old esteem around the world.

He must have noticed my thoughts were trailing, because he said, "Of course, since this is a high-risk assignment, and you'll likely be gone for at least a couple weeks, you will be given a hefty bonus."

"Hm," I muttered noncommittally. Money was no problem for me. I had enough from a book I had written, gifts from people thankful for what I had done in the war, reparations from Death Eater estates, and a very nice salary. I had moved back in with my parents after breaking up with Ron, and a good sized bonus would help me get a down payment for my own place. It was a nice temporary fix, but I'm starting to crave my independence.

"So, what are you thinking?" he asked me.

"What kind of accommodations would I have?"

"Most likely a tent in the woods. They live on a reservation, so it would be difficult to get you permanent residence there, and you need to be as close as possible as that's where they stay when they are wolves."

"Protection?"

"Very basic spells. Just enough to keep them out of your tent. We don't want them getting suspicious and angry. The nearest witch is twenty-five miles away."

I bit my lip. Out in the wilderness with a pack of suspected human-killing wolves with only a minor charm to save my ass? Sounds dangerous and reckless. Harry would be all over this one. "When do I leave?"

"As soon as possible," he replied with a triumphant smile. "With human lives on the line..."

Way to pull out the trump card, Kingsley, I muttered in my head. He knew I would never turn down the opportunity to save poor, unsuspecting Muggles. Not that I was going to turn him down, anyways.

"I understand," I interrupted. "Has a Portkey been set up?"

"Right here," he said, handing me a notebook. "Just say 'Quileute', that's the tribal name, and it'll take you to where the Americans feel is a safe place for you to make camp. I'd bring some warm clothes, and lots of them. It gets rather rainy in the area."

"I got you. Thank you for the opportunity, Minister."

"Thank you for agreeing, Miss Granger," he said, shaking my hand. I got up to leave when he said, "Oh, and Hermione?"

"Yes, sir?"

"I've taken the liberty to pack your equipment. You'll find everything you need in here," he said, tossing me a backpack.

"Thank you again," I said with a quick smile before letting myself out. I waited until I was far away from the office to let my face break out in a large smile. I nearly skipped to the lifts, and rode down, not realizing it was already the end of the business day. Ginny was waiting for me in her usual spot. She often came to have an early dinner with Harry, who was doing some long hours working a case in the Auror office, and then she'd meet me for an after-work drink. We used to have it at the flat I shared with Ron, now we went to Grimmauld Place rather than bug my parents. But I needed to pack, so she'd have to come with me today. She never missed an opportunity to spend some time with me, especially now that Ron and I had broken up. She sided with me for giving him his ring back, saying he was an idiot and letting me know that the Weasley family still supported me, despite the fact that Molly treated me like air nowadays.

"Hey, 'Mione!" the redhead bounced over to me as soon as I walked off the lift. "You look like someone told you you're having a second birthday this year."

"I was just up seeing Kingsley," I started.

"He must have let you keep your job."

"Better. He gave me an important assignment."

"Oh! I knew he'd be fair. He's quite fond of you, thinks you're beyond brilliant. Which you are," she smiled.

"Come with me to my parents' house? I need to pack."

"Pack?" she sounded confused as we reached the Floo fireplaces.

"Yes. I'm going out of town on my assignment."

"Sure," she said, looking confused. I went first, stepping onto the rug my mum set up for me to dust myself off on. I did that quickly and moved so Ginny could do the same.

"Okay, now what's your assignment?" she didn't said as soon as she was out of the green flames.

"Welcome home, Hermione. Good to see you again, Ginny," my mum stopped my answer as she entered the room. "You're back early."

"She's got to pack for an assignment," Ginny blabbed.

"Assignment? What assignment?"

"The American Ministry wants to reclassify a pack of shape-shifters in the Pacific Northwest, and to do so they need an outside opinion. Kingsley thought I would be perfect for the job and offered it to me. The Americans want it done quickly, so I have to leave as soon as I'm done packing," I said quickly as I walked upstairs.

"Shape-shifters?" my mum asked, looking confused.

"Muggle boys who can shift into wolves. It's an ancient magic you see in native tribes in certain areas around the globe."

"Why would they need reclassification?"

I sighed, because I knew what would happen if I admitted they were semi-dangerous. But I was never a good liar, so I said, as nonchalantly as possible as I pulled out a suitcase, "there have been some human disappearances in the area, and they're suspected to have something to do with it."

"Disappearances?" Ginny asked with a frown as she perched on my bed. "Like, killings?"

"Nothings been confirmed."

My mum gasped. "Is anyone going with you?"

"No, Mum," I groaned. "I can take care of myself."

"I'm not saying you can't, I'm just saying that perhaps it would be better for you to have someone there, not for work, just in case. What's Ron doing?"

"Oh, for the love of goodness, Mum!" I shouted. "I'm not starting this argument again. Ron and I are over!"

"This took a sudden turn," Ginny muttered.

"Why do you insist on pushing this?" I said in a half-growl as I started shoving clothes into the suitcase.

"Because he's here," she nearly whispered.

My hand stopped halfway into my bag, a t-shirt now suffering under my death-grip. "Tell him to go home."

"Please," she said, looking into my eyes. "Just talk to him. He looks like a wreck."

I sighed, pulling out the balls of clothes I had just placed in, and folding them nicely. "Fine. Send him up."

She scurried from the room before I could change my mind.

"You want me here for support?" Ginny asked, looking concerned.

"No. We need to talk about it like adults."

"Floo me if you need support. If not, I'll see you when you get back."

"I'm going to try to get back by the bank holiday. My sister's coming in for the weekend." My older sister, Bianca, worked as a teacher in Bristol where she lived with her fiancé. His parents lived in the area, and they spent most of their time there and away from our suburban London area.

"If so I'm coming by. I will learn that poker game she buried me in last time," she smiled wickedly.

"That I must see. I'll be back by then."

"Okay. Love you," she said, hugging me.

"Love you, too," I smiled as she walked out. Not two seconds later she was replaced by a taller, shaggier-looking Weasley. Ron looked like he hadn't slept in days, his patchy beard un-maintained, his shoulders slumped.

"Hey," he said, stopping in the doorway and staring at my feet.

"Hm," I responded, folding more clothes and stuffing them away.

"Where are you going?"

"Business trip to America," I replied shortly.

"Oh," he muttered, kicking the carpet. I packed for a few more minutes in silence as he kept staring awkward glances at me.

"How long are you going to be gone?" he finally asked.

"Few weeks at most."

"Listen, 'Mione. I'm really sorry..."

"Yeah. I am, too," I interrupted. "I overreacted at the Ministry. But the truth of the matter is I'm not sorry about what I said, because it needed to be said. You were taking advantage of me. I felt like a back-burner girlfriend. You were always going out with Harry, or Seamus, or Dean, or your brothers, and cancelling dates with me. I need more than that, Ron."

"To be fair you were working a lot," he muttered.

"But I made sure to leave on time when we had plans. I was sick of getting home at five after five to find a note telling me you were going off to the pub or something. And then you bought those season-tickets to the Cannons, without consulting me. That was our wedding fund."

"You weren't picking a date!" he growled. "I might as well have done something worthwhile with the money."

"I'm not getting into an argument with you," I snapped. "What happened, happened. It's not going to change anything."

"Please, 'Mione. One more chance..."

"No, Ron."

"Could we at least talk about it a little more, when you're not packing? I could come with you."

"It's a job, Ron. Not a vacation."

"Fine. When you get back, then."

"I've made my decision, Ron. You said I wasn't ready to get married, and you were partially right. I am ready to get married, but not to you. I need someone who will treat me right, and spend time with me and not have it seem like a chore. We're just too different. We're better friends."

He snorted. "Like we could be friends after this."

"I hope we can," I said in a low voice. "I love you, but not the way you need to be loved, and not the way I need to love. We both deserve different."

"But I want you," he muttered. "And if you'll give me a chance I'll prove I can change."

"I'll think about it," I said, my heart sinking. It was a lie. I wouldn't think about it, because thinking about it only caused heartbreak and tears. I just wanted him to leave.

"Thanks, 'Mione," he smiled. "Have fun on your trip."

"Yeah. Bye, Ron," I replied, looking away. I heard his footsteps shuffling away as I finished packing. What a fucking disaster. I gathered my things, took one quick scan around the room to make sure I didn't forget anything, pulled out the notebook, whispered 'Quileute' and was gone. Hopefully really far away from the crazy problems my life has become full of.


	2. Chapter 2

(Jacob's POV)

"Woah, Jake, take it easy on the equipment," Coach R smiled warmly at me, wrapping his arms around the beat up old punching bag and preventing me from knocking it off it's chain. Again.

"Sorry, Coach," I grumbled. I had taken to working out in the Forks High School gym. Coach R was on my ass, and on Seth, Embry and Quil's asses, to jump ship off the tribal school and start up at Forks High so we could join his football team. And basketball team. And any other team he can think of. Who wouldn't want four big, fast, strong guys who could beat the crud out of most teams on their own?

Too bad I can't accept. I would love to just be normal. Part of the reason I go work out. Anger management and all that. Trying to get my life back to normal so I can stop phasing and get over this whole crazy, fucked-up chapter of my life. Leah does yoga when she thinks no ones watching. Embry beats up a video game controller once a week. And I come here to wail on equipment because it's free. But I couldn't go here. She went here, with the fucking leeches, and I'm sure their smell is stuck on the walls. I can't go to the normal school, because Forks High would look down on our occasional mass-breakout at Sam's calling. Our teacher thinks we're being summoned for a tribal emergency. The principal knows better. And everyone off the reservation, save for Bella and the bloodsuckers, have no damn clue what's going on.

"Have I managed to change your mind yet?" Coach chuckled, looking up at me hopefully.

"You have no idea how much I'd love to play for the Spartans," I muttered, pulling the gloves he insisted I wear off and tossing them by my water bottle.

"But you're still staying with the tribal school?"

"I have to. Dad wants me to learn all our traditions and language and stuff, and that's what they don't teach here."

"Are you just doing it for your dad?"

"No. I'm doing it for me," I said, starting up with a leg machine. He needed to keep quiet, so I was relieved when he excused himself to go beat up on some football players coming in late for off-season training. The school year was over, but for some reason year-round training was encouraged.

I worked out for five more minutes, then gathered my things and left, feeling eyes following me. I was too big to be allowed, a freak, and persona non grata to everyone but Coach. The only cool thing I ever did in these kid's eyes was nearly beat up Cullen, and I might have been a hero if I had actually beaten him up. Damn treaty.

I decided to jog home. There was no damn reason for me to be in wolf form as much anymore. We hadn't had a vampire visitor since the big battle with the newborns. That was the reason I had to be really careful about being seen around town, so I started jogging though the woods- Chief Swan still thinks I'm holed up with injuries from my 'motorcycle crash'. He's got more important things on his mind nowadays. Cullen and Bella are getting married. The chief's a wreck. And I lost.

Leah thinks it's for the best. Quil, Seth, Embry, and Sam have been supportive. Jared doesn't give a shit about the situation. Paul has been his usual pain-in-the-ass self. And I've been fucking miserable. It's been a week and two days since the battle, a week and one day since Charlie called Billy with the news, and a week and a day since I cracked a damn smile. That's when I decided to start working my anger out through exercise. Anything to stop phasing, to get everyone out of my head, and to start aging like a normal person. I considered going rogue for a while, running north until I was away from everything, then living like a wolf, but they'd still be in my damn head. And the pack wasn't going anywhere until we settled the thing with the Cullens. I don't know when the wedding is, but there's a good chance that the treaty is going to be smashed that night.

And what's really irritated me is there's now a debate going on in the pack. Should we attack if, no _when_ Edward bites Bella? She wants it, she mentioned she needs to become a vampire to avoid some seriously bad vampires from coming to visit, she knows the consequences. As long as she's far away from the area, there have been whispers on the fringe that we should allow it to happen. But that inevitably brings up the question of what would happen when Bella kills a human. I shook my head. I really don't need this shit right now.

Sam's waiting for me when I get home, and this can't be anything good. He's got that 'Alpha needs to talk to Beta' look. I put my stuff in the garage before going to talk to him.

"What's up?" I asked, leaning against the door-frame.

"Just wanted to let you know there's a strange girl camping out in the woods to the south, out by the cliffs."

"So?" I shrugged.

"There's something about her, man," he shook his head. "She must have seen me, because she stared at me. There was something in her gaze, like she knew. She didn't seem afraid at all, more curious. She even opened her mouth a few times like she wanted to talk to me, but she stopped."

"That is really weird," I replied, my brow furrowed. "You want me to go check things out?"

"Nah, I'm not worried about her. Probably some kind of hippie chick out to commune with nature. I just wanted to warn you, you may want to avoid the area. Or go check her out. You do seem to be attracted to the weird ones," he smirked playfully.

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes.

"Patrol tonight?"

I groaned, but I knew it was coming. It was our turn to patrol together. "I guess. If I don't have sleeping to do or something."

"You can just sleep all day, like Billy's been complaining you've been doing."

"You have to be the master of something," I shrugged, opening the door.

"How are you holding up?" he asked quietly.

"The girl of my dreams is marrying a goddamn parasite. How do you think? I'm surviving."

"It'll get better," he said reassuringly.

"Yeah, sure," I muttered, ducking inside before I had to deal with any more personal questions.

* * *

(Hermione's POV)

It had taken me all of two hours to spot one of these so-called dangerous wolves. I had just finished setting up my campsite the Muggle way when I heard a rustling behind me. I turned and saw it, as tall as a horse and as black as midnight, staring back at me. It was too human of a stare to be any kind of animal. I was afraid for a couple seconds, but it made no advances towards me. Just sat there, staring at me, looking curious. And I stared back, just as curious. Waiting for him to make the first move. But he didn't. We just looked at each other for a while. A couple times I wondered if I should say something, but my job was strictly to observe, not to interact. He couldn't know I was a witch. And so I couldn't let him know that I knew what he was.

After a couple minutes the black wolf disappeared into the woods, and I started breathing normally again. I ran inside and immediately documented the encounter. Had the wolf been a human-feeder there was the perfect opportunity to attack, and it just stared. First sign that they didn't need reclassification.

Hoping to catch some of the boys in their human forms I wandered into town. I had a feeling that if I saw them I'd know it, and it would give me the chance to familiarize myself with the town. I walked down a hill and onto a large, rocky beach. It was a sunny day, and there were a lot of people milling around, though very few in the water. In the distance I saw rocky islands and surfers catching waves. No one spared me a second glance as I walked along the water, and that was weird. It has been a long time since I walked around in public and didn't have people shouting my name, asking for pictures and autographs.

I was sorely tempted to stretch out on the beach and enjoy myself for a while, but I knew I probably should do my job for at least a few hours before I started taking time for myself. So I started walking through the town proper. It was small, and there were plenty of people on their lawns talking pleasantly to each other. The type of town where everyone knows everyone. Far from the large castle and fireplace-connected houses I was used to. I kind of liked it. A place where people cared about you for you, and not how many psychos you brought down.

Near the outskirts of town was a small store, and that's where I caught my first glimpse of the pack in their human forms. At least, I'd be willing to bet my Gringotts account that this is the pack. There were four of them standing there, and they all look to be at least six and a half feet tall, they're all dressed in only shorts and cheap trainers, and they all look like they have two and a half men's worth of muscles. Or maybe that's just because I'm used to Ron and Harry's physique. They both have some muscles from Quidditch playing, but they have nothing on these boys standing around the store.

I must have been looking too long, because one of them called, "Hey, sweetheart, see something you like?"

I blushed and turned away. Why did I have to stare like that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. I picked up the pace, but within seconds I heard footsteps coming up behind me.

"Wait up, please," a second boy said, coming even with me. I stopped and turned, but didn't look away from the ground.

"I'm sorry," the boy said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Embry's just... well, he's Embry. There's not much to talk about there."

"I shouldn't have been looking," I replied, chancing a glance up. He has a sweet face, calm, like he was more happy about everything going on around him than upset.

"We won't fault you for that," he said with a wink. "I'm Seth, by the way," he added, outstretching his hand.

I debated giving him my name for a fraction of a second before I grasped his hand with mine. Any doubt that this was a shape-shifter went right out the window when my skin hit his. Anyone this warm should be covered in sweat, but he's dry as a bone. I smiled, not giving away my realization, and said, "Hermione."

"That's a really pretty name," he smiled. "Come back, I know Embry wants to apologize."

I followed him to the rest of the group, suddenly feeling much smaller than I had ever felt before.

"Hey, guys. This is Hermione," he introduced me, and I gave a nervous little wave.

One of them shot me a dark look and stalked away into the store.

"Paul," Seth said, rolling his eyes as if this were explanation enough.

"I'm Quil," the boy standing next to Seth said with a large, pleasant smile.

"Embry," the final one said. "Sorry about scaring you off."

"It was nothing," I returned casually.

"I like your accent. Where are you from?" Seth asked.

"The UK. I live in a suburb of London."

"That's cool. What brings you all the way out here?"

"I wanted to explore the world a little bit. You ever have something you just need to get away from?"

"No need to tell us twice," Quil murmured.

A fifth boy appeared, walking out of the woods. This one was taller, stricter looking, but it was his eyes that captivated me. It was like I had seen them before. And with a sudden jolt I realized I probably had. The midnight colored wolf. I locked eyes with him, and I thought I saw his step falter for a second, like he recognized me and was surprised to see me around. He regained composure and sauntered up to the group.

"Emily says soups on," he said, looking around the group.

"Thank God. I'm starving," Embry said. "Nice to meet you, Hermione."

"Yeah, see you around," Quil said, and the two hurried off together.

"Paul's inside," Seth motioned to the doors of the store. The boy grunted and disappeared through the doors. "That's Sam, and he's always like that."

"I understand," I nodded.

"Cranky friend?"

"Moody's a better word for it."

He chuckled. "How long are you in town?"

I shrugged noncommittally. "Until I feel like moving on."

"You think you might want to hang out sometime?"

I bit my lip. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, that will always be my tell. I can't stop it, it's what makes me an absolutely horrid liar.

"Is that a no?" he said, looking disappointed.

"That's an 'I'm not sure'," I said honestly. It would help me make my report to spend some time around the group, but it was very much against the 'no interaction' thing. But that was really an unwritten rule. But I really don't want to lead this Seth kid on. While he's attractive I'm really not here looking for someone to date. I'm going back to England when my report is done, and I'll figure out my crazy love-life there.

"Come on, Seth, or there's going to be nothing left," the surly-looking boy said, intentionally bumping into Seth as he walked past.

"Paul," Sam warned. They both walked off.

"I probably should go," Seth said, looking disappointed. "You have no idea how much those guys can eat. I'll get the scraps if I'm not careful."

"I wouldn't want to deny you a good meal," I couldn't help but chuckle myself.

"So... I'll see you around, then?" he sounded hopeful.

"Maybe we'll bump into each other again," I nodded.

"Great. Bye, Hermione!" he smiled widely as he ran off after his friends. I waited until they were out of sight, pretending to be interested in a copy of the store's specials in the window, but as soon as they were gone I bolted back towards my campsite. I didn't slow until I was well in the woods. Damn me and my curiosity, I got too close. Again.

Deciding that was enough for one day I went into my tent. I shoved a portable chair, a lantern, a book, and some food into my beaded bag- the same trusty one I had on me at all times throughout my adventures searching for Horcruxes. The thing was never far from my side. It held everything I needed in case of emergency, including my Portkey home and a book with the Floo addresses, and the occasional telephone number. I had expanded the protections to make it water and fire proof, and make me the only one who could see the true contents of the bag. To anyone else it was an ordinary purse.

I made my way back to the cliffs. The view was beautiful, and the breeze would feel good. I laid out my chair, got out my food, and had a mini-picnic as I watched over the ocean and the beach far below. Afterwards I pulled out my book, a new book on Transfiguration Theory, becoming so engrossed in it that I only stopped reading to pull out the lantern so I could read some more. It was only when the first few drops of rain fell that I decided it was time to pack up and head back before I got drenched.

I had put the book and the chair away, and I was trying to clear up my rubbish when I lost balance and put my hand out to stop myself from falling. A searing pain crossed my palm, and by the light of the lantern I could tell there was a cut, slowly dripping blood.

"Damn," I muttered, slinging my bag over my shoulder. I would have to heal it when I got back to the tent, I couldn't tell dittany from nightshade in this light. I summoned a clean washcloth from the depths of the bag and secured the clasp before wrapping my hand and holding the cloth tightly, trying to stop the bleeding. I was reaching for my lantern when I heard a noise that caused my stomach to drop.

It was a crashing noise, no, not one crashing noise. Several. I couldn't tell which direction they were coming from, because it sounded like they were coming from several. I backed up, putting as much distance between me and the trees as I possibly could, giving myself only three or four feet between myself and the cliff. I pulled my wand, pointing it in front of me, my heart ramming against my ribs, my breath coming in short spurts.

The noises were coming closer, fast. I was just about to light my wand to see better when I caught a glimpse of movement in the trees directly in front of me. Before I knew it there was a white blur on a collision course for me. I couldn't even get out a scream before the blur, cold and hard as stone, caught me around the middle, pushing all the air out of my lungs. There were several loud cracks as my ribs gave under the force of the hit. My feet left the ground, and I could feel myself toppling off the side of the cliff.

* * *

**A/N: Ha, ha, cliffie! (Sorry, bad pun). Want to know what happens? Perhaps a little review to encourage me?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow. You guys asked, so I put as much of a rush as I could on writing this next one. You had to wait an extra day because I was off at a bachelorette party. But let me tell you, watching 6 muscular men dancing mostly-naked made me think of Jacob, which made me want to finish this chapter. After I got rid of my hangover. It was a good night ;)**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you times a million to everyone who has reviewed so far. They really did motivate me to get this chapter done.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

(Jacob's POV)

Patrols had gotten boring since the last time the redhead was in town. Not a damn sniff. She quit coming before the big fight, and since then there was nothing. So you can imagine my surprise when I caught the scent of one right along the treaty line. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. This was no scent I recognized, and it was fresh. Five minutes old at most.

_Sam_, I thought urgently.

I'm getting them together, he said as I heard a howl in the distance. I could see in his head that he was coming in at the newcomer from the East. I felt several people phasing, and I could see Leah, Seth, Embry, and Paul heading in from the town in the North. Jared was a couple hundred yards behind me, Quil was tailing Sam. Someone would run into this vampire quickly, and we were all hoping to be the one who got to destroy it.

The trail moved back and forth, as if whoever it was were trying to catch a scent trail themselves. I ran as fast as I could, the scent getting stronger as I moved. They weren't moving at top speed, they were searching, scouting the land.

I came across a small stream, and on the other side was a woman vampire, bent over sniffing the stream bed, red eyes dull in the moonlight. She took one look at me and took off. I was quickly on her heels. I would have had her if I didn't have to do twice as much ducking around the trees as she did.

_Almost there, Jake_, Sam shouted.

_Me, too_, Leah said, and I could see she was the closest, maybe a half mile in front of me.

_She's mine_, I growled.

_We need to work together to get her_, Sam snapped.

_Fucking hell_, I grumbled, crashing through a bush, my teeth snapping shut mere inches from the female's ankle.

"Stop!" the female cried, launching herself too high for me to catch her in the trees. "I'm only looking for Jasper!"

Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't that. I circled the base of the tree, knowing all the tress around it were short enough that I could get a grip on her if she jumped.

Leah was next to me in a second, jumping a few times, but coming several feet short of the vampire. Our bodies weren't designed to climb trees, and her sheer size smashed a few of the branches.

_What did she say?_ Sam asked, sliding in behind us.

_She's looking for a Cullen,_ I said, staring at her.

_Do we kill her?_ Jared asked.

_Of course,_ Sam ordered. There were now five of us circling the tree, and Sam was thinking of smashing it down when the female turned, and vaulted off. It took us by surprise, so it took us a fraction of a second to respond. In that fraction of a second she had too much of a head start. She was back on the ground in less than a second, headed straight for the cliffs. And it was about then we realized what had made her run like that. The smell of human blood was on the air. Faint, but growing stronger as we approached the ocean. She burst out of the trees, Leah close behind, into the clearing between the trees and the cliff edge.

I only had a quarter of a second view of the injured human through the trees, but that was enough. My heart dropped with the girl, my brain relinquished control of my body, and panic set in. I had to jump off the cliff after her. I had to save her. If I didn't save her, I was going to lose myself.

My imprint.

_Jake, man, she's leech food,_ Embry whispered, terror-struck.

I didn't listen. I vaulted past Leah, who had stopped dead at the edge of the cliff, and launched myself after the girl and the vampire. They were about a quarter of the way down, and the girl was in obvious pain, panic written on her face. But instead of screaming she managed to twist away from the vampire's mouth. There was a stick clutched tightly in her hand, and she pressed it to the vampire's clothes.

"Incendio!" she shouted.

If I didn't see what happened next with my own two eyes, I never would believe what happened. The vampire burst into flames, relinquishing her grip on the girl, but it was too late for the parasite. It was ash before they were three quarters of the way down.

The sudden flames had engulfed the girl, and she shrieked in agony, her clothes catching fire. She fell for another second before, with a sickening crack, her leg landed on a rock, and she rolled into the ocean, disappearing beneath the black waves.

I phased as my body entered the water, swimming frantically towards the unconscious form of the girl. I grabbed her around the middle, and winced as some burned flesh came off in my hand. More carefully than I have ever done before I wrapped my arms around her, being very careful with her damaged skin, and kicked towards the shore.

Not giving a damn that I was fully naked I ran onto the beach. The others were running towards me. Quil, Jared, and Sam, who must have known how important it was that my imprint get cared for, were also naked, Embry, Seth, Leah, and Paul were pulling on clothes.

"Is she alive?" Quil said.

"Yes," I managed, hearing her heart beating quickly.

"Aw, man," Seth said in shock. "That's Hermione. The girl we met at the store earlier." He seemed to shoot me a dark look, but I brushed it off. I had more important things to worry about.

"Should I call an ambulance?" Embry asked.

I looked pleadingly at Sam. This was much more important than a trip to the Forks Emergency Room. There was one doctor who was better than the rest, by far. And I wanted nothing but the best working on my imprint, my Hermione.

Too bad he was a fucking vampire.

"Call the Cullens," Sam ordered him. "Get Dr. Cullen over to Jake's house. It's closest."

Embry was already back in form, running towards Emily's house. She was the only one who had the Cullen's number.

I ran as swiftly and carefully as I could to my house, bursting in the door and waking up my father, who was snoozing in front of the television.

"Jake?" he asked, looking beyond confused, but I was already past him. I deposited Hermione on my bed, grabbed the closest pair of shorts, was in them in record time, and kneeled by her head.

"Jake?" dad repeated as I started stroking the side of Hermione's head not covered in burns. "What the hell is going on?"

"She got attacked by a vampire," I replied quickly. "Out in the woods. Got knocked down a cliff. She managed to set the vampire on fire, I don't know how. But she got burned. And probably a few broken bones. Sam's going to get Dr. Cullen here. He'll be able to take care of her better than anyone."

"Who is she?" he asked softly. "Do you know?"

"All I know is her name is Hermione. And she's my imprint."

His look suddenly turned serious and sympathetic. "I'll wait for them out front."

I waited for him to go before I started whispering to Hermione, "Please, honey. You've got to wake up."

Seconds later I wished I hadn't asked her to wake up, as her mouth opened, and the most heartbreaking scream came out.

* * *

(Hermione's POV)

The next thing I was conscious of was pain. It felt like someone was using the Cruciatus curse on the left side of my body, and they were unwilling to let up. I couldn't suppress the scream that escaped my lips at first, but I got it under control relatively quickly. My teeth were grinding together, and I was sobbing, but I wasn't screaming.

"It's okay, honey. It'll be alright, Hermione," a voice I didn't recognize was saying to my right, and something hot was running repeatedly over my forehead. I tried to slow my breathing, every intake of breath was met with several sharp, stabbing pains.

"He'll be here in fifteen minutes," a breathless voice said.

"Damn it. Not quick enough," the first voice growled.

"He didn't think it was, either, but that's the fastest he can drive. But, um..."

"What?" he snapped. I felt a sudden intrusion into my mind, and focused a good chunk of the little energy I had left to block it.

"Edward just pulled up. He wants to help."

"Fuck you, Cullen," he said again, low and dangerous. "I know you can hear me. Stay the fuck away from her."

"You know, he might be able to help."

"How the hell can he help?"

"I know basic first aid," a smooth, cool voice answered.

"You get the hell away from her," whoever it was moved next to me, I could hear them standing up.

"Just let me help clean the area. It's covered in sand and debris from the ocean."

There was a pause, like the first man was considering things.

"Please. I'll be gentle. I'm just trying to help save her, not trying to take her or anything..."

A low growl cut him off. Seconds later I felt two cool washcloths running gently over me, brushing away whatever I was covered with, but I couldn't help but wince at the pain even the slightest pressure caused.

"When did you...?" the smooth voiced boy, Edward the one boy had called him, asked.

"On the cliff. Right before it happened," the other voice, still tense, replied.

"Bella will be happy for you."

"Please don't tell her."

"May I ask why not?"

There was a long pause, then Edward answered as if the first boy had been talking. "Will you tell her eventually?" he asked.

"Yes," came the first voice.

"It'll be nice to not be in competition with you, Jacob."

Jacob, I racked my brain, trying to focus on anything but the pain. Nope, I don't know any Jacob. Why the hell was he calling me 'honey'?

There was another long silence before Edward said, "Carlisle will be here soon. He's bringing Jasper."

There wasn't a verbal reply, but I got the impression that Edward knew what he was thinking well enough to answer.

"I know your distrust of him, but it'll be for the best. For her."

Another pause.

"No. She wouldn't be able to see around you, and I doubt any of you will leave her alone with us. Especially now. She's staying with Bella until I get back there."

They must have finished cleaning me off, because they were now placing the cool washcloths all over my left side.

"No, I can't," Edward said suddenly. "But it's not like Bella. It's like she knows she's doing it. We need to put these under her left side, to elevate her."

Cold hands suddenly gripped me gently and rolled me onto my right side. A second later I was lowered back, coming to rest on some pillows and folded blankets. I wish that whatever conversation they were having, this Jacob guy would speak up. I'm trying to stay awake here, and hearing this one-sided conversation being had by a man whose voice could lull almost anyone to sleep isn't helping things.

"Carlisle," Edward said, moving aside.

"Hermione?" a new voice said. "I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. Is it okay if I treat you?"

I tried to say yes, but all I could do was moan. I moved my head up and down slowly once.

There was another set of cold hands running over my injuries, gently poking and prodding, and I couldn't help but let out a few yelps of pain, causing Jacob, who I had determined was now standing by my head, to growl again.

"Perhaps it would be best if you went outside," a new voice, the Jasper they mentioned, maybe? A feeling of calm swept over me.

"Sam can come in and watch us," Carlisle said in a soothing tone. "So one of yours will be in here."

There was the sound of stomping footsteps and a slamming of a door. Seconds later more footsteps coming closer, and Sam's familiar authoritative voice.

"They're trying to keep him occupied. How does it look, doc?"

"It's certainly not good," Carlisle replied in a low voice. "Several broken bones, burns covering about forty percent of her... And falling into the ocean. I'm honestly surprised she's not in shock right now. I'd recommend immediate transport to the hospital, but it's not equipped to deal with this level of trauma. They'd airlift her to Seattle, and I doubt she'd survive the transport. And if she did there's a good chance she'd succumb to infection. I'm not sure I can do much more than make her comfortable..."

A horrible sound, halfway between a wail and a howl of agony echoed through the house from outside. There were whispers, too quick for me to catch, between Edward and Carlisle.

"That's the situation, doc," Sam said quietly. "Anything you can do to try to keep her with us..."

'Keep her with us'? That doesn't sound good. Magic is probably what's keeping me alive right now, but if I don't get some proper treatment I might be in serious trouble. And I'm allowed to use magic in front of Muggles if my life is in danger. Now is probably just the type of situation they wrote that exception for.

I opened my mind, because my mouth didn't want to work, hoping whoever was trying to listen in earlier was still trying to do so.

_Bag,_ I thought hard. _I need my beaded bag._

"I can hear her now," Edward said, sounding surprised.

"What's she saying?" Jasper asked.

"She wants her bag," he replied, and there was a rummaging sound. I felt the rough exterior of the bag scrape against my fingers.

_Put my hand in it,_ I ordered, and Edward obeyed. I pictured my address book and thought _Accio!_ as firmly as I could. I closed my fingers around it as it crashed into my right hand. With considerable effort I pulled it out of the bag and held it out, feeling it being gently pried from my grip.

_Harry Potter,_ I shouted in my head as a new surge of pain passed through me. _Tell him to get Poppy._

There was the sound of pages turning. "This number is from England," Edward muttered.

_I know. Just do it! He can get here quickly._

A feeling of relief swept over me as he decided not to ask any more questions, and I heard his footsteps rush from the room.

* * *

(Jacob's POV)

"I'm not sure I can do much more than make her comfortable..."

The words destroyed me, and it took Seth, Jared, Embry, and Quil to hold me back as I tried to rush back into the house. There was a strange, anguished sound that it took a couple seconds for me to realize was coming from my own chest. And I didn't care. I was in pain. I didn't know if I would be able to survive if she was gone. I finally started to control myself enough to walk to the nearest tree and punch it, causing it to snap in two, but this was one time the physical pain would not dull the emotional.

"Jake," Quil said, placing a careful hand on my shoulder, probably out of fear that I might try to take it off. "He's working on her."

"I should be with her!" I snapped.

"You know how small that room is. It would be too crowded. Let Dr. Cullen work."

"Would you just wait if it was Claire in there?"

He looked up at me, his mouth half-open, unable to answer the way he wanted to because he knew he'd be telling a lie.

"I'm going in," I hissed, shoving past him before he could react. But before I was halfway to the door Edward emerged, dialing a number on his cell phone.

"She told me to call a friend of hers. She thinks it'll save her life," he answered my unasked question. Before I could ask anything else he put the phone to his ear.

"'Lo?" a tired sounding voice with a British accent picked up a couple rings in.

"Is this Harry Potter?" Edward asked.

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"My name is Edward Cullen. My father, Carlise, is a doctor. He's treating a girl, Hermione Granger..."

"'Mione? What's wrong with 'Mione?" he suddenly sounded much more alert, and I felt a surge of jealousy. How well did she know this Harry Potter? Even if she lives am I going to lose her before I had her?

"There was... an incident," he chose his words carefully. Trying to explain a vampire attack to someone who doesn't know they exist would not only take too long, but risked the big, bad Italian vampire cult coming to get them. "She's burned, and she has some broken bones. She asked me to call you, and told me to tell you to bring Poppy."

"Burns and broken bones," he repeated. "Anything else?"

"Some bruising and a minor cut. Carlisle doesn't think she has any internal injuries."

"I'll have her bring some stuff just in case. What's the address?"

Edward repeated my address for him.

"We'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Twenty...?" Edward sounded surprised, but the line had gone dead.

Twenty minutes. I can do this. I can let Carlisle try to keep her alive for that long without freaking out. I sunk onto a boulder, and tried to steady my breathing. I focused only on the labored breaths, heartbeat, and small moans I was hearing from my room, knowing that as much pain as they caused me to hear them, they still meant that she was alive.

Eighteen and a half minutes later three loud cracks sounded, and to our surprise three humans seemed to appear of out thin air. The first was a young boy with messy raven-black hair and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and an oversized t-shirt. The second was a stern-looking woman wearing a robe and carrying a large black bag. The final man was the most fascinating to me. He was a tall man with greasy black hair, wearing a long black cloak buttoned high up his neck. He immediately shot Edward a scathing look, and the rest of the pack and I exchanged glances. There was no doubt the man knew what Edward was by just looking at him.

They appeared out of thin air. The man and Hermione seemed to know about vampires. They were each holding the same kind of sculpted stick that Hermione had used to set the other vampire on fire.

What the hell was my imprint?


	4. Chapter 4

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**A/N: Sorry this took a while. I was in a wedding, and that took so much energy I couldn't find the time or the drive to write.**

**I cannot believe the response to this story. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has left a review. If you asked questions, I tried to get back to you. If I haven't, I'll be playing catch-up for a couple days still.**

**Enjoy! I'll try not to keep you waiting as long!**

* * *

(Hermione's POV)

There was a sudden commotion outside my room.

"Who the hell are you?" Sam growled.

"These are the people Hermione asked me to call," Edward replied, and it was obvious there was surprise in his voice. Harry must have not been very cautious about where he Apparated to. How bloody unexpected. I'd roll my eyes if I could. Oh, well, I'll deal with Oblivations after I'm healed.

"Where is Ms. Granger?" Madam Pomfrey's stern voice cut in.

"In here," Edward said. I heard footsteps hurrying inside.

"'Mione? 'Mione?" Harry called, and I felt Carlisle moving away from me, replaced by the vague outline of Harry's signature glasses and black hair above me.

"What happened?" Snape's voice sounded from across the room. Oh, great. This is _not_ what I need.

"Vampire attack," Jacob's voice came, and I could hear he had re-positioned himself by my head.

There was a pause before I heard Carlisle quickly say, "Not us."

"Forgive me for wondering whose idea it was to allow vampires to treat her?" I can hear the sneer in his voice. The man is about as sufferable as spending a night in a pit full of agitated Blast-Ended Skrewts.

"Dr. Cullen is the best doctor in the area," Sam said.

"There was not a single human doctor who could take care of her? You obviously know what they are capable of, and you still allow one to come near..."

"Now is not the time, Severus!" Pomfrey interrupted. "Just hand me the burn salve."

Seconds later I felt someone rubbing a cool lotion over my left arm. There was a couple seconds of tingling, and the pain seemed to subside. I relaxed a little.

"Besides the burns and broken bones, is there anything else you have noticed?"

"Just some bruising and some minor lacerations," Carlisle responded.

"Perhaps it would be best if we cleared some of these people out, then," she muttered. "I'm going to need to remove some of this clothing."

"Call for me when you need me," Snape muttered, and I could hear his robes swish as he left the room. Prat. Thank Merlin and every other deity he's not going to see me naked.

"Jasper, will she be okay without you?" I heard Edward ask in a low voice.

"Whatever that is, it's helping," Jasper replied. "I could probably do my job from the outside wall."

"Would you like me to stay to help communicate?" he asked me.

_Yes,_ I let my thoughts slip through to him. _But don't look. Please._

"This may be an unusual request, but it would put Jacob more at-ease to see what is going on. May he stay as well? He won't look."

_I guess,_ I answered, confused. I know I had never met this Jacob before, but now he's all protective over me? Or is he the Alpha of the group, making sure that someone who was injured by a vampire is taken care of? I'd be willing to bet that the wolves aren't the ones killing humans in the area, the vampires are, but one of them a doctor? Treating me? This is beyond...

"You should calm down," Edward said, and I could hear a smirk in his voice. "You're making Jasper anxious."

Great. Like I'm going to calm down trying to decipher that little bit of information.

"I'll explain everything to you when you're better. I promise."

_That's it. You're getting cut off,_ I groaned, putting my mental shields back up while he chuckled. It was emotionally draining to do so, but with Edward and Snape around, the effort is worth it.

"Potter, hold this right here while I cast the spell," Poppy muttered, and I felt my leg shifting slightly. I winched, and a burning hot hand started to caress my hair again. There was another flash of burning, then a wash of cool. When the cold sensation faded my leg felt normal again, not broken anymore. The feeling repeated itself several times around my chest, and breathing didn't hurt so much anymore. Harry suddenly got up and left the room, and I realized why as I felt clothing being gently pulled off my body by two sets of hands, one normal, one ice. Snape had a point. What were vampires still doing in my room? I wound up in this predicament because I had to burn one to keep from being bitten. What's to stop one of these from finishing the job? I wish I could ask Snape, but there's no way to open my mind to him without Edward hearing. And he needs eye contact, and there's no way I'm having the prat back in my room until I'm covered up.

The cool hands worked much more quickly than the normal ones, and within a couple minutes I felt the thick paste had covered most of my left side. It was cool and comforting, and it helped me relax even more now that the pain had mostly subsided. I adjusted myself slightly, and held back my wince at the shots of pain that traveled through my body at even the slight movement. Someone pulled a blanket up to my collarbone, and I suddenly felt safe.

"Is it feeling better, Ms. Granger?" Poppy asked.

"Yes," Edward communicated for me.

"Would you like something to help you sleep?"

"Please."

I managed to open my mouth, and felt something pouring down my throat. Before I could thank her I was out.

* * *

(Jacob's POV)

I watched as Hermione's body relaxed, sinking against my sheets, which were now also covered in the thick orange paste this Madam Pomfrey woman had coated her burns with. I was still in awe at what she had done to her leg and ribs- here I thought I was a quick healer. One wave of her wand, and the bones were healed.

I'm no idiot, and if anything I am more aware of the supernatural than the average person wandering around. So it didn't take me too long to realize that people who appear out of nowhere, carrying sticks that could heal bones with a wave, meant that, like vampires and werewolves, witches and wizards were real, too. And my Hermione was one of them.

No big deal to me. Who the hell am I to judge? I get a little angry and I turn into a giant animal. Actually, I think it's kind of cool. There's obviously some level of magical community, because they've got a healer, potions, and the creepy old guy in the long robes, and they all seem to be connected.

Once I was sure Hermione was okay I followed the group out of her room, closing the door behind me. I'd be back as soon as I was gone, but I needed to figure out what was going on and make sure she wasn't stolen away from me. As I walked out, Harry ran back in.

"I need to get back to Hogwarts," Madam Pomfrey said to Carlisle. "The caretaker, Filch tripped over Mrs. Norris, and Peeves made sure he kept going down the main staircase. It's almost time for another round of pain potions. I'm going to leave the rest of the burn paste with you. For burns of her extent it's going to take a couple days for her to recover, and it'll need to be applied to the affected area every eight hours. Severus will leave you some pain potions and sleeping potions to help get her through. I want her to rest for about a week, at which point I'll come back and clear her to return to normal activities."

"We know Ms. Granger well," Creepy Old Man cut in as she disappeared. "She will insist she's fine, even if she isn't. You need to be forceful with her."

"I'll make sure she keeps to her schedule," I announced, causing him to turn to stare at me. Great. He's another mind reader. I've been around Edward enough to know when to control my thoughts, so I just returned his icy stare.

"Let me make this abundantly clear, I find it beyond idiotic to leave Ms. Granger in the care of vampires and a bunch of mock teen-aged werewolves."

"Mock?" I growled, surprised.

"Mock," he drew out the word, cutting the 'k' at the end in the back of his throat. "You seem to be able to walk the walk, but you have it lucky when it comes to human-to-animal transformations. You may have had some minor injuries to those around you..."

Sam growled, and Seth and Embry quickly moved to hold him back.

"However, you have no idea the pain and suffering true werewolves go through, out of control members have been known to kill or infect those around them. But that's neither here nor there to you, because you've had to take care of a vampire or two, and you don't seem all that adept at that, either."

I felt cold arms hooking around my own. "Steady, Jacob," Dr. Cullens voice said reassuringly. I could see Jasper, straining to control the situation, as Seth and Embry looked about ready to let Sam go.

"Volatile, rash, the lot of you. Do you honestly think you are the best thing to care for someone as important as Ms. Granger? You have no idea what she has gone through, this is a minor bump in the road compared to what she has dealt with in the past. She's a war heroine, the brainy third of the illustrious Golden Trio."

If Carlisle would just let me go, I'd smack the snark right out of this asshole. Did Edward just snort?

"I can see the little crush you have on her. I don't even need to be as intrusive as your meddling friend over there," he nodded towards Edward. "Ms. Granger has the cream of the wizarding crop seeking her hand. She could marry money, power, looks, prestige. Do you think a Muggle mongrel has a chance of winning her heart?"

If I phase right now, Carlisle will probably be knocked backwards long enough for me to rid him of his greasy head. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Edward coming closer. God damn it, why can't my mind be my own for a couple minutes?

"I've instructed Potter to find a qualified Healer to come oversee Ms. Granger's care, the sooner, the better. I'll also be talking to the Minister to make sure she's pulled off this asinine assignment and brought back home as soon as it is safe to transport her. At which point Ministry officials will make sure none of you remember so much as a hair on her head," he smirked one more time before he disappeared into thin air.

"Jacob..." Sam said, still sounding tense, but not homicidal.

"Get off me," I growled, shaking free of Dr. Cullen and storming into my house. Whoever this Potter was, even wizards and witches should respect trespassing laws. My hand was on the doorknob to my room when I heard his voice.

"I'm so sorry Ron did this to you, 'Mione," he whispered, then there was a nervous little chuckle. "That was pretty stupid of me. You would have taken this assignment even if you were still with him. I'm glad you were able to kill that vampire, Merlin knows I couldn't have done it without you screaming at me to remember the incantation and proper wand movement. You'll be safe here. I'm not too thrilled about the vampires, but I don't know if I can trust a healer not to leak information about you to the press, and they have been all over your breakup with Ron. I'm going to check in, every day. If I get the slightest idea there's something wrong I'll come back to take you away."

I sighed. I have to make sure she's the most cared-for burn patient on the planet, not that I would have let her care slack at all anyways. I opened the door to my room, startling the short, raven-haired boy.

"Thought you might be Snape," he mumbled, squeezing Hermione's hand.

"Creepy Old Bastard?" I asked, and he nodded with a quick smile. "He left. Not before he pissed off a bunch of werewolves and vampires."

"Severus Snape is not known for his tact or his people skills," he chuckled. "Sometime we wonder if he's not trying to get himself killed. He expected to die in the war, and was kind of pissed off Hermione saved him."

I grunted in response.

"Sorry. You guys probably don't care about this stuff. Do you have a number I could reach you at? I'd be willing to bet you'd rather me contact you than the vampires."

"The less bloodsuckers on our land, the better," I muttered, tearing off the date on my desk calendar and scribbling my name and number on the back.

"If you're so against vampires, why did you let them come here to help her?"

"Dr. Cullen really is the best doctor for hundreds of miles. He catches things that human doctors miss."

"Like if the vampire had actually managed to bite her?"

My jaw dropped. I hadn't even thought about that. What would I do if my imprint had been bitten, and was going to turn into the one thing I hate the most? I'd probably let the Cullens take care of her, and let my pack take care of me.

"I need to get back to Ginny," he said, standing up suddenly. "If I don't she'll send a bunch of us to come find me and Hermione."

"Might be best if you go, then. Our tribe isn't exactly aware of any of this, having people pop out of thin air would likely cause a panic."

He left, and I sunk to the floor by her head, leaning against the wall, my hand running absentmindedly through her hair. Snape was right. I have nothing to offer her. If I come right out and tell her about the imprint she'll probably laugh in my face and get home quicker than she came here. I imprinted on a woman completely out of my league, and as crushing as it is to think about, I'm going to lose her as soon as she's well enough to go.

* * *

(Edward's POV)

I never thought I would feel sorry for the mutt.

I needed some time to think, so I took my car home before starting to run back to Bella's. I am truly feeling remorse for Jacob Black, as much as I don't want to. But I know his feelings for her. Complete devotion, undying love and commitment, and all before he even knew her name. As he replayed his terror at watching her fall off a cliff wrapped in the arms of a vampire I couldn't help but be reminded of when I thought Bella had jumped to her death. He was so torn in his room, he didn't want any more of us near her than necessary, but he wanted her to survive even more. And then, his thoughts as the black-robed wizard talked to him. The realization that he might yet _again_ be denied the woman he loved...

I feel _very_ sorry for the mutt.

Enough that I might send Bella over to console him. Now that there's no romantic competition, and knowing he won't be leaving the girl's side farther than to go to the kitchen until she's fully healed, I feel safe in Bella being over there. Jacob isn't going to have the energy to phase for the next couple days. Not that I blame him.

"Is it you sending Bella to the dogs, or is she choosing to go over there herself?" Alice's voice chirped, causing me to stop dead. Damn, I forgot who I had babysitting Bella. Why am I never smart enough to send Esme? Hell, I'd rather have Emmett right now than Alice, though Bella would probably never get sleep with him in the room. Too afraid he'd go rummaging in her underwear drawer, trying to prove we aren't the 'prudes' he's sure we are.

"I was going to have her go over there. Jacob's in a bad way," I replied blandly.

"And you think sending Bella is going to help anything?"

"The girl. It's his imprint."

She frowned. "How is Bella supposed to help?"

"He needs a friend."

"He has his pack."

"Alice..."

"Edward..." she shot back. "We've made it so long without Charlie figuring anything out. But Bella having a sudden desire to go see Jacob because he's caring for a girl who, by all means, should be in the hospital might make him realize something's not on the level."

"Especially since she's going to heal exceptionally quick."

"Am I the seer, or are you?" she asked, looking confused.

I explained about how she was a witch, and how the magical healer had already taken care of her broken bones, and that she'd be all healed in about a week. I also explained Jacob's desire to keep the imprint secret from Bella and Hermione.

"I guess the mongrels aren't the only quick-healers around," she said, looking pensive. She was trying to think of arguments to keep Bella off the reservation. Any disturbance of Bella's future made her nervous, especially since it was so close to the time to make her permanently one of us. And she had a point. With our wedding not quite a secret the mutts would most certainly know what was coming. Having the future vampire wander onto their turf might not be the best idea. If there was going to be a war either way, they may just choose the way that'll probably spare some human lives and start it early. And with a witch on their side, especially one as powerful and quick-thinking as Hermione...

I shuddered. I guess sending Bella onto La Push is out.

"Can we at least send Jacob a wedding invitation, with the hopes that he brings her?" I suggested.

"Ugh. His stink will mess up the floral arrays I'm planning," she pulled a face.

"The humans won't be able to smell him."

"_I_ will," she groaned. There was a few seconds silence as she thought of the reason Hermione was injured in the first place. An unknown vampire, asking to see Jasper...

"It wasn't Maria," I announced. "But I wouldn't be surprised if Maria sent her. Perhaps she thought Jasper had something to do with the newborns in Seattle. With his skills, she was always paranoid of him coming back and attacking her."

"Perhaps," she mused. Great, pixie on a mission. Best not let Jasper know she's thinking of making a trip down South. When he gets agitated we're not a fun group to be around.

"Don't go without telling me," I muttered.

"I won't," she said, a smile coming across her face.

Shaking my head, knowing nothing good ever came out of her schemes I ran the short distance to Bella's house, vaulted into her window, and took my normal place beside her. I had the rest of the night to debate telling her about Jacob, but right now I just needed to hold her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi, everyone. First off, I want to apologize for disappearing for a few weeks. I got the idea for a new crossover that would not stop writing itself in my head, and instead of trying to write four stories at once I sat down, wrote for the better part of two weeks, and finished it up. As a shameless plug, if you're a fan of the TV show Criminal Minds, you should go check out my new story, called 'Impossible'. That story is done, and I'll be posting a chapter every three days for it.**

**Thanks to everyone for the huge response to this story. I'm in awe. You guys are really awesome. And on that note, I'd like to thank whoever it was who nominated me for 'Most Beloved Fanficiton Author' on the facebook fanfiction . net fanpage. I don't know who did it, but I am beyond flattered. Seriously, I've never had my fanfics nominated for anything, so I was speechless when I got the note that I was nominated. If it was you, and you PM me I promise to respond with a big thank you note.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

(Jacob's POV)

"Her burns are nearly healed," I muttered into the phone, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Dad was sleeping in the next room, and I don't want him to wake up. He's become Father of the Year, making sure I'm okay. I admit, I've been neglecting myself since Hermione's accident, but I can't help it. I don't want to eat until she can. I don't want to move when I know it still causes her discomfort to do so. She's been out of it for three days. I haven't seen her eyes open much, but occasionally when I get back from my forced meals or going to the bathroom another set of empty vials of pain and sleeping potion are sitting on the floor next to my bed. I doubt it's only coincidence that she's waking up when I'm out of the room, but I'm not going to call her out.

"That's good," Harry's tired voice sounded on the other end of the phone. He called three times a day, ten o'clock at night (my time), six in the morning, and two in the afternoon. Like clockwork, every eight hours, which is nice because it's a good reminder of when I need to apply the thick orange paste that's coating every sheet the pack can bring over. Emily's not happy with the laundry she's begrudgingly taken charge of, but she's been very supportive of me, and her nurturing spirit is really showing through.

When Harry calls the questions were always the same, and my responses were almost as consistent, only changing slightly with Hermione's improving health. I leave out the part about Carlisle coming over a couple times a day to check up on her, start an IV drip for nutrients, and to help her alleviate any biological need with a catheter. It's obvious Harry doesn't want vampires around Hermione, but for some reason he seems to be okay with werewolves.

"I think maybe two more applications of the burn paste and everything will be cleared up. Three at most," I said automatically, not thinking much about the conversation.

"Let me know anything new," he said, his typical sign-off.

"I will," I replied quickly before the line went dead.

Yawning I stretched and walked back to my room, my footfalls nearly silent on the old floors despite my size. I slid inside the room, even though it is completely dark I can see very well. I grab the jar of burn paste, sink to my knees in front of the bed, and slowly pulled the blanket off. Dr. Cullen had dressed her in two hospital dressing gowns, one with the gap on the front on top of your typical gap in the back standard. She's lying on her side, which makes it a lot easier for me to slip her arm out of each of the gowns. I position the gowns so she is completely covered. Something I can pride myself on is that I haven't looked at anything I can avoid looking at. I don't want her to think I took advantage of her while she was unconscious or anything.

I pull a generous amount of the thick paste from the jar and start at her leg, just below mid calf. I massage the paste onto her skin, leaving a layer over each of the now-faint scars that cover her left hand side. She's facing me, and I can't help but look at her face as I apply the paste. Her mouth curls into a delicate smile, and occasionally a content sounding sigh escapes her delicately-parted lips. Edward has stopped by only once, he doesn't like standing by her bedside. For some reason the fact that she can keep him out while she's not in a deep sleep makes him feel like he's intruding when she can't keep him out. Which puts her on the level of the rest of us. The leech has bizarre morals. But he came over with Carlisle one night, and said that the paste helps relieve the pain, and that my massaging hand is somewhat soothing. So I take my time when I apply it now, but it is partially selfish. I do get comfort being able to touch her, and I can hardly justify holding her hand every waking moment.

I fix my eyes on her face as I run the paste over her mid-section, then up and over her covered breast, making sure to get every part of where the under wire of her bra had nearly melted itself onto her flesh. She always tenses up when I do this part. Something's happened to her in the past, something that makes her recoil at uncomfortable touches.

"Good morning, Jacob," Carlisle's voice calls from the doorway, and I jumped in surprise. Haven't the leeches ever heard of knocking? Doesn't someone out there run an etiquette class for the undead? I thought Dracula had to be invited into people's homes. Are the Cullens too good for a little formality like that?

"Morning," I grumble, stalking to the corner of the room to avoid the stink as much as possible as he hooks up another IV bag and does his routine check.

"She's looking very good," Carlisle said with a smile in his voice. "She's mostly recovered. I'd say that it would be safe for her to start moving around a little bit, to get off these potions. I have no idea if they're addictive or not, but I'd say at least with the sleeping potion it may be time to start to try to get her back in a normal rhythm. Perhaps it would be best to start it slow. Stretching, sitting up, standing for a couple seconds. I've never seen anything like this, so I don't know how far we should push things. Would you be amenable to me coming by after my shift, say around 2:30, and allowing me to start working with her? She'll best be able to tell us when somethings too much."

"Fine," I reply. Whatever to get him the hell out of the room. "Only you, doc. Tell Edward to stay at home and plan his wedding."

"Alice has that pretty much under control. She wanted me to give you this," he said, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a fancy looking envelope.

This can't be good, I thought, taking the heavy letter from him. I know what it is. It's a wedding invite. And I have no desire to open it right now.

"Edward hopes that you might consider bringing her to the wedding. He made sure Alice addressed it to you 'and guest'."

"If Edward thinks that I need help getting a date, tell him thanks but no thanks. And I seriously doubt after this she'll want to be in a group of paras... er, vampires."

"Bella would be thrilled if you came," he said quietly as he bent her joints, listening for any biological response from her to the movement.

I grumbled something intentionally unintelligible in response. I hadn't thought about Bella in days, and it surprised me for a moment. I had thought about her so much before I imprinted on Hermione, it really was obsessive, that the complete absence of her from my thoughts was a little disconcerting. But my thoughts have all been about Hermione, and I have a feeling my pack approves. They've dealt with the thoughts of those of us who had imprinted for a while, so it'll be the same song and dance once I start phasing again.

"Consider it. Please," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder, which caused me to wince.

"I'll consider," I promised. 'As long as you get the hell out now', I added mentally. Thank God the doc can't read minds.

"I'll see you later this afternoon," he nodded before leaving.

I waited until I heard the door close to move. I sunk down in my normal spot, back against the wall, legs out in front of me, clutching the envelope in my hand. I tore it open with little regard to the careful calligraphy on the front. There's an inside envelope, indeed addressed to me 'and guest'. And Billy, too. Dad'll get one hell of a kick out of this one. But Charlie would know something was wrong if Billy refuses to go his only daughter's wedding, so he's stuck on that point. I can have the excuse of my heart being crushed, even if it's not true. It was your typical invitation, pretty fancy but nothing out of the ordinary. I doubt Charlie and Renee are contributing a dime for this shindig, but the invitation is still the standard issued 'The parents cordially invite you to the wedding of their daughter'.

If there was truth in advertising it would be a funeral invitation. How many people get to the see a dead woman walking?

I wonder if Hermione would ever consider going to a vampire wedding with a werewolf. Probably out of shits and giggles or something, if she'd ever consider going. Perhaps she'd be willing to have a bit of a bonfire. A man can dream, can't he? As much as I don't like thinking about her like that just yet, I have to admit it's a bit of a turn-on to think that I'm not the only one of us who can take out a vampire.

That was the thought on my mind when I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

(Hermione's POV)

I have to pee.

Not one of those 'I've been in the car half an hour too long and I need to use the bathroom' things.

It's one of those 'If I don't get to a toilet by the end of this thought there's going to be one hell of a mess in here' things.

I opened my eyes, didn't bother stretching, and pushed myself into a sitting position. Jacob was sitting in his usual place on the floor next to my bed, but I don't have time to think about that just yet. I scrambled off the bed, stumbled into the hallway while trying to ignore the pain on my side, and found the bathroom across the hall. I shut the door behind me, and was thankfully able to relieve myself. I've never had this problem in the mornings since my accident, the vampire doctor usually inserts a catheter, but he must have forgot today.

After I finish up and wash my hands I pull the robes back around myself. I know why hospitals use these things, but could they pick any different colors then these pastels? Are they trying to make people look sicker than they are?

"Oh!" I gasped as I walked into the hallway. A middle-aged man is sitting there in his wheelchair, smiling at me. I'd be willing to bet this is Jacob's father, though I have no idea of his name.

"Good morning," he said, his smile warm. There's something in that smile. An easiness. Like he didn't have some strange woman lying near death in his room recently. Like I'm practically family. It's a little unnerving.

"Good morning," I replied in a murmur.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked me.

"A lot better," I replied.

"That's good. I'm Billy, Jacob's father."

"Hermione," I muttered. No wonder there are deep stress lines across his face. If I had a child and they turned into a giant wolf that could keep up with a vampire I don't think my blood pressure would agree much with me.

"Are you going to go lay back down, or would you like something to eat?"

"Oh, I don't want to be a burden," I protested. "I'll just go lay back down."

"Don't be ridiculous. If you're hungry, you should eat. What kind of host would I be if I didn't make you breakfast?"

"One who opens his home to a complete stranger who should have gone into the hospital?"

"If you were in the hospital you wouldn't have gotten the burn treatment you did."

I didn't bother correcting him by saying that I would have been pulled out by Healers and taken to a magical hospital. "I really don't want to be a bother. I'll be leaving soon, but I'd like to thank your son for taking such good care of me before I do."

"He should be up shortly. Let me go to my room for a moment. My daughter, Rachel, left some things when she went to college, they may fit you."

"You don't have to..." I protested. I can transfigure these gowns into something, I probably should have, but I don't want to make too big a deal about my magic right now.

"It's no problem," he smiled, going through a door. A few minutes later he was back with a pair of well-worn jeans and a plain black t-shirt. "You can take a shower if you want. Everything you might need is in the closet."

"Thank you," I said, taking them as he held them out for me. I went back into the bathroom, turned on the water in the shower, and sat down on the seat of the toilet to let my thoughts run wild. First and foremost in my mind was Jacob. He was extremely confusing to me. What made him take up vigil by my bedside, even after I had heard others offering to at least give him a break. What is drawing him to me like that?

He must be one of the wolves. Very few people got that big normally, and the boys I suspected were the pack earlier were all built much like him- tall, muscular, solid, handsome... OK, that last one was objective. There's no law against a girl looking, is there? I need to push those thoughts out of my head before I get into the shower. This trip was not for me to go fantasizing about the werewolves, no matter how attractive they were. Besides, I don't know anything about this Jacob, other than he doesn't have much to do so he can baby-sit me twenty-four seven. It's a little sweet, in a slightly creepy way considering we haven't talked. But I had talked to that Seth kid, and he seemed really nice. A little flirty, even. Why isn't he the one who is taking vigil by my side?

That's it, I'm done thinking about my love life. Whoever I'm going to find, I'm not going to find them here. Right now what I have to worry about is Kingsley. If Poppy or Snape got to him to tell him about my somewhat horrific accident he's going to pull me off the job and stick me behind a desk for a while. He doesn't mean to be insulting by it, he just wants to make sure I'm perfectly recovered.

Realizing I had been sitting there with the water running for five minutes I conjured up my own soap and jumped into the shower, and got that done in two minutes. My side really is starting to bug me, but I didn't see any pain potion in the room. I'm going to just have to grin and bear it for a while.

After dressing in the borrowed clothes, which indeed fit me quite well, I emerged to the smell of eggs and bacon. Thank Merlin, Dumbledore, Circe and everyone else. The only thing that hurts more than my side is my stomach, and it hasn't stopped growling since I got up. I feel like I could eat like Ron, but it would probably be rude of me to dive in head-first.

"Let me know if you want more. Jake can spare some of his," Billy wheeled himself out from the kitchen, two large plates of food on his lap. He held one out to me, and I gratefully took it, and sat on the couch he nodded towards.

To keep myself from eating too quickly I looked around the house. It was small, but not uncomfortably so. There were various Native-American decorations hanging from the walls or sitting on shelves, as well as several wolf statues. Pictures were everywhere. A few of them were of Billy and what looked like a close friend wearing a police uniform. Most of the pictures, however, featured a beautiful woman, two young girls who looked to be twins, and an even younger boy. But all the more recent pictures didn't have this woman, who I assumed was Jacob's mother, in them. There was a portrait of Billy, Jacob, and the two girls that looked to have been taken before Jacob's massive growth spurt, but the mother wasn't in the picture. I wonder what happened to her, and found myself hoping it had nothing to do with the wolves. Billy was no where near the size of his son, and his physique gave away that he might have been fit some time ago but not as muscular as the pack now. Did changing into a wolf skip a generation? Damn, I really, really, really want to get to a library right now. There has to be something at the local library about the legends of this tribe.

It didn't seem like the two girls in the pictures lived here anymore. The 'bachelor pad' state of things meant that either they were very comfortable with the men leaving their clothes in the main area of the house, or they lived elsewhere. They were older than Jacob, who looked to be about my age, but that means nothing. Kingsley mentioned some of the wolves were teenagers, but none of the ones I've met look to be that young. Unless they have more hiding away somewhere either Kingsley didn't know their true ages or, more likely, their ability causes them to age quickly to their peak physical condition. And I bitched about going through puberty.

"Is everything okay?" Billy asked with a nod towards my plate.

"Delicious," I answered. "Thank you."

"No problem. Anything you need, you tell me. You're supposed to take it easy."

Not going to happen, but I'm not going to tell him that. I want to get out of here so I can finish my job. I don't relish the thought of how many people I'm going to have to Obliviate after this.

Billy switched on the television to the news out of Seattle. "... months later no signs of explosives in the ferry disaster that claimed the lives of all on board," the pretty anchorwoman was saying.

"God damn leeches," Billy breathed, and it was obvious I wasn't supposed to hear it, but I didn't survive the war by not tuning into my surroundings. Leeches? That's something Lupin called vampires on occasion, slipping out of his professional demeanor for a moment as the ancient animosity shone through. Had vampires slaughtered an entire ferry of people? Did Dr. Cullen, Edward, and Jasper have anything to do with the deaths on the boat? It seemed so against the humanity that the doctor seemed to exude. Something really strange is going on in this town, and the American Ministry either doesn't know, or didn't tell Kingsley and I.

There was a sudden scuffling sound coming from Jacob's room. I turned just in time to see him fly out of his door.

"Dad, where's...?" he started, but he stopped dead as he saw me sitting on the couch, staring at him.

His eyes. I've never seen anything like those eyes. So intense, filled with concern, compassion, and a slight touch of panic. I couldn't tear myself away from them, despite the fact that it feels like he's reaching my soul.

Something really strange is going on.


	6. Chapter 6

(Jacob's POV)

I can't stop looking at her. I don't know how long I've been standing here, heart pounding against my ribs, trying to control my breath, my eyes locked onto her beautiful brown ones, my insides melting. I am so relieved to see her okay, but more than that I'm relieved to still see her here. When I woke up and saw she was out of bed I thought the worst. I thought about what I was going to do if she disappeared to wherever she came from, and I would never see her again. It didn't take me the time to cross the room to know that if she was gone, I'd be following her, no matter what it took.

But she was there the moment I opened the door. Sitting on the couch, watching TV with my dad, staring back at me with a look of curiosity and surprise. And she seems as unable to stop looking at me as I am looking at her. I want to look at her, I never want to stop looking at her, but at the same time I hoping for something to break our gazes so I can remember how to move again.

The phone started ringing. Her eyes shifted slightly to look at the phone mounted on the wall within my arm's reach.

Thank God.

I reached for the phone, and make it a point to focus on the wall as I answer, "Hello?"

"It's Harry," the voice on the other end announced, and he continued before I had the chance to say anything. "The Minister is planning on stopping by later to see Hermione and talk to her if she's awake..."

"She's awake right now," I told him.

"Really?" he said, and the relief was evident in his voice.

"Yeah, want to talk to her?"

"Of course. Thanks!"

"It's for you," I said, looking at her, but making sure not to lock eyes with her again. "It's Harry."

I could see her wincing when she got up, and my jaw involuntarily set. Right now I could take down every fucking leech I could sink my teeth into for causing her so much pain, for damn near killing her. There's a slight limp in her walk as she moves to take the phone from me.

"Hullo, Harry," she says, and she can't stop a smile from coming across her face.

"Hermione," he breathed in relief. "Thank Merlin. How are you?"

"I'm fine," she replied, and there was no hint of a lie in her voice, despite the fact it's obvious she's having pain. She hides her pain as best she can. Good to know.

"Really?" he asked, skeptical. Ah, so her friend knows that she holds her pain back.

"I've got a few side-effects, but nothing too much. I'll live, and I'll be back on assignment in a few days."

Assignment? What assignment? Great, another 'what the hell is going on here' moment. I haven't had this many since, well, Bella came back into town. That sort of threw my whole life into crazy. Maybe one day Forks will have a young, pretty girl come in who doesn't send us further down the rabbit hole, but as far as I know they're oh-for-two recently.

"Hermione," he groaned. "Are you sure you need to..."

"Yes, Harry," she said firmly. "I came here to do something, and I already have some information. I have to finish."

"That's something you'll have to take up with Kingsley. He's on his way."

"Oh, bloody Hell," she breathed, trying to keep it as quiet as possible. For a second I feel guilty about listening in, but unless I leave the house, I'm going to overhear this.

"Snape went to him..." he said in a calculated tone, as if he were afraid of her reaction.

"That ruddy bastard," she growled, and I had to fight a smirk. So she doesn't like that greasy pain in the ass either. Awesome.

"He's just concerned about you, 'Mione."

"He picked a funny time to start caring what happens to me."

"He started caring after you saved his life."

What now? She saved his life? Is that where he got his bizarre protective moment from? I almost thought he _wanted_ to die, the way he was antagonizing a bunch of werewolves and vampires.

"I'm not going to apologize, but that doesn't mean I want him to start acting like a father figure or something," she muttered.

"Father figure isn't what I think he's wanting," he replied in a soft voice.

I feel bile rising in my throat. No wonder now about why he tried to so discourage me from trying anything with her. The thought of him touching my imprint...

_Calm down, Jake_, I reminded myself. _She's not going to be impressed if you phase or smash a wall or something._

"When is Kingsley coming?" she asked quickly, changing the subject.

"He'll be there any minute."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah. I am," she replied, confident yet comforting. "I didn't expect to get attacked by a bloody vampire while I was here, but you wouldn't believe what I learned from the experience. I needed this, Harry. I needed some time away from my desk, and the Dailey Prophet, and the Ministry..."

"And Ron?"

"That most of all. I'm going bonkers over there, Harry. I can't think straight. I need to be away for a while, and this is a great way to do something good and fight an injustice that's occurring at the same time. I have so much to tell you, but I don't want to say it all over the phone. I'll talk to you when I come back."

"When is that going to be?" he asked.

"I'm going to fight tooth and nail against going home right now. I want to finish my job."

"I knew you would. It's so Hermione of you."

"Would you love me if I were any different?" she smirked.

"I'd love you no matter what, 'Mione," he chuckled. "Just stay safe, alright?"

"Which one of us is the accident prone one again?"

"The tide is starting to shift. I never wound up attacked by a bloody vampire."

"No, you were only attacked by Voldemort. Several times."

"Hurry back, 'Mione."

"Nope. I love you, Harry."

"Love you, too. I'll call later to see if Kingsley forced you to go back or not," he promised.

"Talk to you then," she said, before hanging up and adding, "no one forces me to do anything," under her breath. She turned and looked up at me. "I don't think we've had a chance to formally meet," she said, extending her hand.

"Jacob Black," I introduced myself, a wave of calm passedover me as my skin made contact with hers. If this is what Sam, Jared, and Quil feel every time they touch their imprints I know why they're constantly around them. It feels so good, just pure bliss now that she's voluntarily touching me. "Of course I know you're name. You're a bit of a rockstar around here."

She smiled. "Sorry about that. If I had known there were going to be vampires running around I probably would have picked a different place to stay. Or at least stayed downwind of the reservation."

"Are you kidding me?" I laughed. "You getting rid of that parasite was the most awesome thing I've ever seen," I said, trying to sound cool. I don't want her to know how much I panicked regarding that little incident. It's not the right time to be telling her about the imprint. How dumb would that sound? 'You don't even know me, but I'm completely devoted to you, I'll follow you anywhere, and by some cosmic determination you're my perfect match'. That sounds like enough to make any woman commitment phobic.

"Well, I did what I could," she shrugged.

"Better than being leech food."

"Wasn't the best thing that happened to me, though," she pointed out.

"Probably the worst."

"You'd be surprised," she mumbled.

Another wave of anger. What had she been through? But the anger subsided immediately, as I realized her hand was still in mine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Hermione's POV)

This Jacob is really hard to read. The way he can't seem to stop looking at me, the obvious emotional reactions to things I'm saying, the fact that we can't seem to pull our hands back to ourselves, any more than we could break our stare earlier. This is one of the strangest things I've ever seen, and I've seen some strange things.

I don't have time to think about much of anything, because I just heard the familiar crack of Apparation in the backyard. I really need to focus on my talk with Kingsley, so I drop his hand and start walking towards the door. Jacob ran to the front of the house, grabbed something, and was back in the blink of an eye, quickly adjusting the height on a crutch. "Here," he said, holding it out to me.

"Thanks," I said, truly relieved. It helped to have something to help support me as I wobbled out of the back of the house to meet the Minister, who was standing by the tree line in the back of the property, looking grim and scrutinizing every move I made. It was a fight to keep the pain off my face, but I thought I did okay.

"Good morning, Minister," I smiled as I got close.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," he said, conjuring up two chairs. I sank into the closest one slowly, trying to minimize the pain from the movement.

"How are you?" I asked when I was situated comfortably.

"I'm fine. The more pressing question is how are you?"

"I'm not going to lie and say that I've never been better, but I've certainly been worse."

"You don't look very well," he commented, studying my left side, which was still scarred. Patches of my hair had been singed off, and I haven't had the chance to fill them in. I had to walk out here with a crutch. Yeah, I don't look well. But I probably look a hell of a lot better than I did a couple of days ago.t

"I'm a lot better, I promise. I've been out of it a couple days, and between Poppy and Dr. Cullen I think I've been mostly patched up. A few more days and you would never even know I had gotten attacked by a vampire."

"That's the problem, though, isn't it? You leave on assignment and less than a day later you've been attacked by a vampire and damn near killed. This assignment isn't worth dying for, Hermione."

"I know, Minister, but it was a freak accident. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. If I hadn't cut my hand the wolves would have taken care of that vampire, and none of this would have happened. But you know what blood is to vampires. I'm just glad it was me and not some Muggle who would have been killed for sure."

I don't like the look he's giving me. He's trying to figure out a way to say something he knows will make me angry, so I continue before he can start.

"That attack gave me more information than I ever could have gotten by observation alone. Those wolves attempted to attack that vampire as a group. I think that's what they're here for- getting rid of vampires. And, from what I've seen, there is a group of vampires that live nearby. With so many vampires in the area, don't you think that it may be possible they're behind these human disappearances?"

"You do realize that raises more questions than it answers, don't you?" he asked, suddenly business. "If they're supposed to destroy vampires, why would they allow a group of them to live nearby?"

"I don't know," I replied truthfully. "But you can see why I want to stay. Now that I know about the vampires, I really want to get to the bottom of this. The wolves had a couple chances to kill me, and they saved me instead. One of them has spent night and day by my bedside, taking care of applying the burn salve and things like that. If they were going to kill humans, I would have been dead by now. There's something bigger going on here, and I want to get to the bottom of it. I'm more than convinced they don't need to be reclassified to 'more dangerous', if anything they're protective of human life. I just want to know. So if you officially pull me off this case, I request my vacation time to keep looking into things by myself."

His lips curled into a half-smile. "How does this behavior not surprise me, Miss Granger?"

"Because you've known me since before I was in the Order?"

"And you've always been quite the stubborn one."

"I'm not stubborn. I'm thorough." I defended.

He considered me for a minute. "If you are going to stay on Ministry business, you will stay here and continue getting treatment until Poppy comes and clears you. Until then you are to continue with her prescribed course of treatment, and keep your work to a minimum until you are completely healed. Then you may complete your assignment, but put up some anti-vampire protections around your tent."

"Trust me, I'm not keen to repeat this experience."

"I wouldn't think so. But I also know you're not afraid to put yourself in danger to get what needs to be done completed. And it's not worth it in this case, Miss Granger."

"Yes it is. These boy's lives are at stake," I answered.

"Keep me informed. And I will pull you off this assignment if Poppy finds out you've been skipping out on treatment or over-exerting yourself before she gives the okay."

"Yes, sir," I nodded. "Minister, I know that I'm not supposed to have verbal interactions with the subjects, because we're supposed to be keeping the magical secret, but seeing as the cat's out of the bag..."

He sighed.

"I could make a much better report with some first-hand accounts of what they're going through," I offered.

"You're still planning on modifying memories when you leave," it was a warning more than a question.

"Of course. But they're good at keeping secrets, I don't think they've told anyone that there's a witch hanging out at the Black's house. But they know, and I could use some verbal explanation of some things that are going on here."

His face was stern, very much a warning, when he said, "don't forget to modify memories. And keep your communications with them to a minimum."

"Of course, sir," I nodded.

"Do you need anything, Hermione?"

"No. I'm fine. Really."

"Poppy will be back when the week is up to check up on you. Stay here and get well before you go back to trying to kill yourself with work."

"Yes, sir," I smiled. We bid each other farewell, and I started to slowly make my way back up the gentle hill to the house. Seconds later Jacob came jogging out, and without a word he supported me and we slowly made our way back inside. He didn't ask anything about the meeting, and I got the sinking suspicion he had heard everything.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey all. I wanted to give a bit of a heads-up, especially to the fans of my other stories, that it may be a little while before I do some updating. I now have less than 40 hours before I leave on my honeymoon. The hubby and I have been married over four years, but we were never able to take one, so we're spending some time all to ourselves, and I plan on not doing any writing during that time. I will let you know that I am planning on visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter during our trip, and I'm kind of hoping for a bit of inspiration for my stories there. Can you tell I'm really excited? I did want to update something before I went, and this chapter has been writing itself in my head for a while.**

**Some of you may have noticed I've done a little timeline tweeking here, upping Jacob's age a year and dropping a few years off Hermione's. According to cannon these two were born almost 11 years apart. That wasn't going to fly with me, the age difference is hard enough for me to work around already, so we've stepped into the AU. This happens, or at least starts to happen, between Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, and post-DH (without the epilogue). Hope that clears some things up.**

**Thanks to everyone who has supported this with alerts/faves and especially reviews. Enjoy!**

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_(Hermione's POV)_

Kingsley helped me to my feet before he left, and I looked up towards the house, and cursed the fact that I had been barred from magical transport until I've been cleared by Poppy. The slight downhill had been nice on my way out here, but now I'm looking at a slight uphill, and it looks about as possible as making it from the Potions dungeon to Trelawney's tower in a five-minute passing period.

I sighed and started slowly up the hill- crutch first, then good leg, then hurt leg, then groan of pain. This process repeated itself about three and a half times before I realized there was someone standing in front of me. I don't even need to look up to know it's Jacob.

"Can I help?" he asked.

"Please," I said, holding my arm out, looking to hook it around his bare shoulders (do these wolf boys ever wear shirts? Not that I'm complaining or anything, it just doesn't seem the best way to avoid detection) and support myself against him as we make our way up. But before I could object my arm was around his shoulders, but his arms were very carefully lifting me off the ground.

"You don't need..." I said, blushing as he started back towards the house, carrying me like I'm some kind of injured five year old.

"'s alright. It's hardly a workout," he muttered with the flash of a dazzling smile down at me. My insides melt slightly as he does, that smile would make any woman weak-kneed. Why can I not stop looking at him?

"Thank you," I muttered, resisting the urge to get comfortable against his chest. I really need to get my mind off boys right now. When did I turn into such a bloody girl?

"Dr. Cullen is on his way," he told me, his voice slightly tense. He's not thrilled about the idea of a vampire working on me, but he trusts Dr. Cullen enough to not object to the house-calls. And that seems to be saying something.

"I guess I'm going to have to make myself beautiful, then," I said with a nervous chuckle.

His mouth opened as if to respond, but he locked eyes with me for a brief second and seemed to think the better of it. An almost sheepish look flashed over his face before he focused on shifting all my weight to one arm so he could open the door and carry me inside like a new bride. Without stopping he walked into the living room and deposited me on the couch, which now had a milk crate and a pillow in front of it for me to prop my feet up on.

"Thanks again," I smiled at him as he handed me a glass of water and sunk onto the couch next to me.

"It's no problem," he replied in a low voice. "Do you need anything else?"

"I think I'm okay," I replied, biting my lip. All my questions were trying to force themselves through my lips, but Kingsley didn't want me to do anything until I'm given the all clear. Dr. Cullen is on his way, so I think I can last a few more minutes.

"Do you watch TV?" Jacob asked, fingering the remote on the couch between us.

"Some," I lied. I didn't own a television. I watched a show a week with my Mum when I was younger, but the habit died and now I read for my entertainment. Television is non-existent in the magical world, so it's actually a bit of a hassle to try to watch it, and after living without it for so long I just have very little desire to pick up the habit.

"Do you have a preference?" he asked, turning the set on. "It's the middle of the weekday, so we could watch feminine-geared talk shows, hillbillies fighting over which of them is sleeping with their sisters, a show dedicated to finding baby daddies, soap operas with loads of over-acting, a sports clip show, or the news."

"When you put it like that..." I giggled, unable to stop the smile crossing my face. I need a little humor right now.

"Let me guess, you're really interested in the hillbillies, but you're going to say the news to save face," he grinned at me, only causing my smile to widen.

"You read me like a book," I replied. "I haven't watched trash telly in my twenty-three years, perhaps it's time to cross that line into trash shows."

"I don't know. You seem really smart. Do you really want to risk your brain cells?"

"You're right. An hour of that and I may forget Arithmancy or something. Better play it safe than sorry and watch the news."

He chuckled as he flipped onto the news station, where two political-looking types were arguing about some recent controversy at a high school, but getting nothing more than red in the face. I opened my mouth to ask Jacob his thoughts on the subject, just to hear his voice again, but I was cut off by a knock on the door. Jacob was across the room almost as quickly as he stood up, opening the door to let in Dr. Cullen.

"Hermione," Carlisle smiled, walking towards me. "Good to see you out of bed."

"Good to be out of bed," I smiled as he crouched by my feet.

"Did you get the chance to walk around or anything like that yet?"

"I did a little walking, and I took a shower earlier."

"Any pain?"

"A bit. Not the worst I've ever felt."

He smiled, "no need to put on a brave face."

"I'm not. Compared to some things I've been through, this is a walk in the park."

Jacob, who was standing behind Carlisle with his arms crossed, let off a noise like a soft snarl.

"May I?" Carlisle asked, motioning towards Jacob's room. I held my hand out for him to help me up, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Jacob tense, his hands clenched into tight fists. Carlisle was very gentle in pulling me into a standing position, but then he did something unexpected. He stepped aside and motioned for Jacob to assist me. Jacob seemed okay with allowing the vampire into his home, but he was drawing the line at having him touch more than my hand? Hadn't Carlisle looked me over about a dozen times before? I won't claim to be some kind of expert on vampires, but I'm pretty sure that even mild-mannered Dr. Cullen would have difficulty helping me walk to a different room. I didn't have time to think too much about it, because Jacob stepped forward, carefully wrapped my arm around his shoulders, and walked with me to the bedroom. I sat on the bed and thanked Jacob. Even though he left the room, I had a feeling he was standing just outside the door. Dr. Cullen walked in and closed the door lightly behind him, and I pulled my shirt off to let him look at the damage.

"May I?" he asked, hand moving towards my side.

"Of course," I replied, bracing myself for his icy fingers to hit my skin, and managing not to suck in a breath as they did.

"This is incredible," he murmured with a grin. "Never, in all my years of practicing medicine, have I seen anything like the healing. I thought you wouldn't survive, and yet less than a week later you're sitting here with just some scarring."

"I guess I lucked out being a witch," I replied.

"In the realm of mythical creatures you certainly seemed to pull a good hand. At least, speaking as to what you may have become. From what I understand you have had a bit of difficult time to this point."

"It could have been worse," I shrugged, wincing at the movement.

He spent the next few minutes poking and prodding everywhere my skin was still covered in scars. He paid extra attention to under my breast, where the underwire of my bra had burnt into my skin, and a hand-shaped patch on my arm which was burnt worse than anything else because it was where the vampire had been clutching me as we fell. He also checked my blood pressure and drew some blood to take to the lab back at the hospital.

"Did anything hurt when you were moving around earlier? I noticed a bit of a wince with your shrug," he said as I pulled my shirt back on.

Damn. Busted. "It comes and goes," I try to make it sound like no big deal.

"Going with what I know about medicine, I'm going to ask you to start a bit of a physical therapy program. Short walks, stretches, nothing too stressful. Work your way up to lifting more and more weight with your arm, that sort of thing. Just remember to take it easy, we don't want you to get hurt while you're trying to recover."

"You seem to think that might be a problem for me," I raised an eyebrow.

"Your former professor seemed to think it pertinent to let me know that you are the type to push yourself."

I bit my lip and kept my snide comment to myself. Bloody Severus. I don't need any more bizarre drama in my life right now, so I'm going to ignore what Harry told me.

"I am no magical healer, so all I can do is suggest taking it easy until Madame Pomfrey returns and gives you a final check-up. I think I've done all I can. You have my number, so give me a call if anything doesn't feel right. Other than that I don't think that I need to come back."

"I'm sure Jacob will be thrilled to hear it."

"I'm sure he already is," Carlisle chuckled, putting away his equipment.

"What, is he listening at the keyhole?" I smiled, shooting a look at the door.

"He doesn't have to," he said, tapping his ear. "I'm not the only one around here with super-sensitive hearing."

I froze. "How super-sensitive?" I asked, voice trembling.

"I haven't spent enough time around the wolves to get an exact range, but I'm thinking that their hearing is almost as good as ours."

My jaw dropped, but I tried to sound casual as I asked, "How good is that? Books tend to dwell more on the bloodsucking aspect than your abilities."

"There are a lot of factors such as weather and volume of the conversation, but I can pick up a typical casual conversation at a couple hundred yards on average. It's a little difficult to differentiate different conversations at first, but, at least in my experience, it eventually becomes easier to listen in than it isn't."

Shit. I didn't think to put up a silencing charm or Muffliato when I was talking to Kingsley. I barely remembered to thank Carlisle and bid him goodbye as the thoughts raced through my head. Jacob knew everything. It would only be a matter of time before the whole pack knew.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

_(Jacob's POV)_

After the medical bloodsucker left Hermione announced that she was tired and wanted to take a nap. I made sure she was comfortable on my bed, then waited for her to fall asleep before making sure my dad was sticking around for a while and taking off for Sam's house. I had to spend ten minutes outside of the house because Sam and Emily were otherwise disposed, but luckily it wasn't another two-hour wait. I gave them a few minutes to bask in the afterglow before knocking on the door. Two minutes later an irritated looking Sam answered the door, but his face softened when he saw me.

"How is she?" he asked, stepping aside so I could come in to talk.

"Dr. Cullen cleared her, but says she shouldn't strain herself until the magical healer clears her. Billy's keeping an eye on her so she doesn't run off, I left her napping," I replied quickly.

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"I overheard her talking to another wizard, I think he's her boss. She's here on a job."

"What kind of job?" he asked, concern written on his face.

"I'm not quite sure exactly what it is, but I'm sure it involves us. She said something about reclassifying us, and that we aren't human killers as previously thought. I think we've got more enemies than we thought."

He nodded, brow furrowed, thinking hard. "What did she say about reclassifying us?"

"That she doesn't think we're human killers, and that she wants to get to the bottom of everything that's going on here before she makes her report."

He chose his next words slowly and carefully. "I think that if she's here to learn everything about us, we should let her. With any luck she'll want to stick around and learn anyways," he finished looking up at me, making it clear that this would be a completely different situation if it weren't for the imprint.

"By everything, do you mean _everything_?" I asked, hoping the inflection make it obvious I was speaking about the treaty and the Cullens.

"The current state of affairs when it comes to the sheer number of vampires that have been running around has had a big effect on our pack and our tribe. She needs to understand that none of this Olympic wolf crap would have come out if the Cullens never returned and brought back a couple waves of hostile vampires with them."

"Mmm..." I muttered. Suddenly I found myself in the very awkward position of having to thank the Cullens, at least mentally, for coming back, because if they didn't I never would have met Hermione. Though if they didn't come back and I had never turned into a wolf I would have been able to do the 'date and fall in love' thing like a normal person. I hardly know Hermione, and she doesn't seem like the type of girl I'd go for if it wasn't for the imprint, but things are the way they are, and she is now my everything. Man, my head could go in circles on this one for hours.

Sam brought me out of my trance with a thoughtful cluck. "Let's start slow, and show her we're willing to let her in on all the information on us. Do you think that Billy's up to hosting a bonfire tonight?"

"Billy knows my situation, and he's being a father and a tribal leader right now. He'd do anything to keep her around and give me a chance to win her over," I nodded.

"Oh, no, I'm going to have to cook a whole picnic?" Emily complained playfully as she entered the room.

"I'll start making calls, you'll have some help," Sam smiled at her, going to put his arms around her and kiss her temple lightly. God, I want that. I want to be able to hold Hermione, to show her how much I want to be with her every second, but more than that, I want her to want the same thing.

"Are you still keeping the imprint from her?" she asked, face turning serious.

"Yes," I sigh. "I want to tell her, but she doesn't understand the way you do and Kim does."

"She's seen much more magic than the imprint, probably much more complicated magic," she replied. "I doubt anything would take her by surprise at this point."

"Just the same, I'd rather not tell her. If she ever does decide to be with me, I want her to feel like it was her own choice, not like she's being pressured by some kind of ancient magic."

"I see your point, but I don't agree with it," she shrugged.

"Give her a break," Sam smiled. "She's been through a war, she's dealt with that greasy asshole, then she comes to our little quiet corner of the Earth and gets attacked by a vampire. After all that do you think she wants to suddenly have a werewolf panting after her?"

"She'll have it either way. I just want to make sure you're happy, Jake," she shot me a sympathetic smile.

"That's all I want for her, too," I replied softly. We quickly made plans for that night, including me giving Billy a call to give him a heads up. As I expected, he quickly agreed to host and tell the stories, and told me he thought Hermione was starting to stir. I told him I'd be back quickly, thanked Sam and Emily and promised her every favor she would ever need for the sudden need for a shopping trip and cooking spree. She faked like she was put out, but I could tell she would do anything to help me, like our pack mother. There really was something to this imprint, otherwise she wouldn't have been the first one imprinted on. She helped the first of us through their transformation, then was the steady, loving force for the rest of us. I could never make up what I owed Emily, just as I could never make up everything to Sam.

When I got back to my house Hermione was sitting on the porch, using her right foot to rock a chair she seemed to have conjured up, a newspaper called 'The Daily Prophet' open in front of her.

"How's it goin'?" I asked as I hopped over the rail and came to a rest sitting on it.

"I'm feeling pretty good," she asked. "I wish I could go get a treatment for these scars, but I don't think Poppy thought my appearance was the biggest of my concerns. Not that I'm vain or anything, but the longer I wait, the more of them I won't be able to get rid of."

Now I know how Sam can find Emily so beautiful with the scars across her face. I hardly even noticed them. "Do you feel up to going to a bonfire tonight?"

She smirked. "Do you really think that the best place to invite a recovering burn victim is a bonfire?"

I chuckled, "Probably not. But it would be a good place for you to learn the stories of our tribe."

Her face fell slightly. "Did you overhear me talking to Kingsley?"

"I do have superhuman hearing," I replied apologetically. I shouldn't have listened in, but I couldn't help it. I needed to know what she was planning on doing now, I needed to know if she was about to leave and never look back.

"I'm sorry you had to find out about my assignment that way. I should have been upfront about it, but it was supposed to be a secret. I was never supposed to interact with you or your pack, just observe and report. I kind of got thrown into the middle, and I was planning..."

"Calm down," I interrupted her rambling, afraid to know what she was planning. "Now we know about it, and we want to help you. We want whoever you're writing this report for to know that we're not the monsters, we're just protecting our tribe, our land, and our loved ones."

Her lips curled up for a second. "I want to know. I really do. I thought this would be an easy case, and now I realize there's a lot more going on here than I was told. Maybe the American Ministry didn't know, maybe they didn't tell me, but I want to know. It's kind of my nature."

I chuckled.

"You think it's funny, but Ron and Harry were all but convinced I'd be moving into the library of my school."

"I'd want to move in, too, if I was at a magical school. I'm not, so I don't spend that much time in the library of our school. Though part of that might be that my extracurricular activities, and how much time that takes up."

She looked confused for a second. "How old are you?" she asked.

"Seventeen," I muttered. "Though that's just how many years I've been on the planet. Biologically I'm closer to twenty-five," I defended. My age is not going to help anything. "How about you? You said something about twenty-three."

"Well..." she said, biting her lip. "According to my birth certificate I'm twenty-three. I'm probably more like twenty-four because of certain things that went on during my third year."

"What went on during your third year?"

"You know the old saying 'you can't be in two places at once'?"

"Of course," I said, unable to stop the grin spreading across my face. This is going to be good.

"I had a little device that totally proved that one wrong," she said coyly.

"What is it called? The alibi-maker?"

She laughed. "So are you just physically twenty-five, or mentally?" she asked, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Well, Bella and I had this big discussion about that. I'd argue that I'm mentally much older than twenty-five, but for the sake of argument I'll just say that I mentally matured when I physically matured. I mean, I suddenly had my job and my life scripted for me. I only stayed in school because Billy and Sam thought it would look really suspicious if all of us got sick, dropped out, and was seen around town looking like this."

"What would you have done if you had dropped out?" she asked quietly.

"I'd be on pack duty until this whole mess with the Cullens was cleared up. They don't stay in one place more than a few years, and we don't need as big of a pack to handle the once-every-few-decades vampire that wanders into the area. So once the Cullens left I would probably enroll in college, learn to fix cars or something, get a job, and work on my life so I could stop phasing and start living like a normal human."

"You don't really have much choice in the matter, do you?" she muttered mostly to herself.

"Nope," I whispered, studying her face. "Would you like a sweatshirt? You look cold."

"Please," she nodded, still looking thoughtful.

I went inside to retrieve one of my hoodies. When I returned her paper had been laid carefully to one side, mostly obstructed by a plate with a few crumbs of toast still on it, and she was hugging herself, eyes far away.

"Here you go," I said, holding the sweatshirt out. She thanked me and pulled it over her head, then pulled it down as far as it would go, which was about down to her knees.

"It's a little big," she said, rolling up the sleeves.

"I'm sorry," I smiled, thinking of how cute she looked in my clothes. "I don't think Rachel left anything heavier than a t-shirt."

"I'm not complaining. It's warm," she smiled up at me. Before we could get to talking again Sue Clearwater pulled into the driveway and honked before parking and climbing out.

"Hey, Jacob, how are you?" she smiled, walking up to us.

"I'm good, Mrs. Clearwater. How're things?"

"Things would be better if you boys weren't calling sudden tribal meetings all the time. You know how much fun Leah becomes when things blindside her."

"Sorry, Mrs. C," I smiled sheepishly. "Special circumstances."

"So I heard from your father. Where is the old coot?"

"Who are you calling a coot?" Billy asked, pushing himself onto the porch.

"You, old man," she beamed. "I remember the time when you'd be able to push yourself over to the beach. Now you're calling a poor old widow away from her other interests to give you a ride."

"And how is Charlie?"

"Good," she said vaguely, and I start debating tuning them out. The love lives of my elders are nothing I want to be privy to. But Sue changed the subject for me. "You must be Ms. Granger."

"Hermione," Hermione said, shaking her hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine. Anyone who can keep my kids from having to tussle with a vampire is a friend in my book."

"Sue is Leah and Seth's mother," I explained. "They're both part of the pack."

"I suspected Seth might be," she nodded. "I met him a couple hours before my accident, he was outside the store with a couple other boys that all looked like they may be part of the pack."

"Was he nice to you?" Sue asked.

Hermione let off a chuckle. "You could say that he was."

Sue shot me a look. "I wouldn't worry about that," she said, downplaying the incident I didn't even know about. "He's at that stage where he's like that with most girls, well, women."

My jaw tightened., but I couldn't get mad at Seth. At the time she wasn't an imprintee, and therefore not untouchable, but I still didn't like the idea of the little punk hitting on my girl.

"Are we going to get going?" Billy asked a little too loudly, trying to keep me from getting angry. It's nice having a father who knows so much about the pack, he's saved me from phasing unnecessarily more than a couple times.

"We'll catch up," I said.

"You're still putting him in the car," Sue said strictly.

"Yes, ma'am!" I saluted, then wheeled my dad to her car and hoisted him in. I bid them goodbye and walked back to Hermione.

"It's a short ride, but their conversations would make almost anyone want to run screaming after two minutes," I explained.

"Is it time to go, then?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'll drive my car," I said, reaching down to pull her into a standing position. She bent over and grabbed her wand from the table, made the newspaper disappear, and stowed the wand in her pocket. She wrapped her arm around me, and I helped her towards the garage. When we made it inside I let her go so I could clear off the passenger seat, which had my school stuff from the previous year still sitting on it. I haven't driven the thing since school let out for summer.

"Is this yours?" she suddenly asked.

I straightened up and looked at what she was talking about, and found her running her hand over the seat of my motorcycle.

"Yeah," I replied. "I fixed it up myself."

"It looks good," she said, studying the bike.

"Do you ride?" I asked in disbelief.

"Could we take it to this bonfire?" she asked, not answering my question.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" I asked, concerned.

"That depends. Are you good enough to control it?"

I scoffed. "Are you doubting my riding abilities?" I walked towards her, trying to look as menacing as possible with the smirk across my face.

"You are kind of young," she shot back, standing her ground, looking completely unfazed.

As a reply I picked her up and gently placed her on the back of the bike, then climbed on in front of her. The rush I felt as I took off towards the beach wasn't from riding the machine again, but from the fact that Hermione's hands were clutched around my abs, her body pressing into mine, her head rested against my shoulder to block the wind.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey, everyone. I want to thank everyone who wished me well on my belated honeymoon. The husband and I had a lot of fun, and as I was sitting and enjoying a Butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter a visual for this story started playing out in my head. I really liked it, and recommend it to anyone who has the means to go.**

**Thanks also for all the reviews. You guys are awesome! Enjoy.**

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_(Hermione's POV)_

The whole time Billy was telling the story of his tribe and the Cold Ones I had my eyes closed, completely ignoring the carefully put-together plate of food that Jacob had made for me. The image swam before me, but familiar images started taking over towards the end as my story melded with the one that Billy was so skillfully telling.

_The beautiful vampire with the deadly red eyes and the waist length hair began to twist into a more grotesque figure. The blonde hair went black and formed into long, dark, flowing robes, the hair atop her head falling out, leaving a skull-like head. Her nose receded back into her head, leaving just slits for nostrils. The pupils of her eyes narrowed until they were cold and snake-like. Voldemort was standing on that beach, terrified tribal members mixed with Order members standing all around, as he easily battled a wolf with messy black fur and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. Suddenly a woman rushed forward, but as she ran her clothes fell away to reveal purple robes, her skin paling, her hair growing long and silver with a beard to match . Dumbledore rushed to Voldemort, pulling out a crudely made knife before plunging it into himself. Voldemort, seeing Dumbledore dying at his feet, turned to gloat over the body of his former enemy. Two young wolves rushed forward, and I knew that the small, quick brown colored one was me, and the larger red-furred one was Ron. We converged on the unsuspecting Voldemort with the raven-colored wolf, and when all three elements worked together we succeeded in destroying him._

It took me a couple of minutes to realize that Billy had stopped talking, and that all eyes were on me. "That... er, that was a really good story," I muttered lamely.

I felt Jacob's eyes on me, trying to figure out my true reaction. But I don't want to tell him what really went through my mind. "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good," I whispered, paying more attention to my hands than anything around me. A wave of pain that had nothing to do with my recent injuries passed over me, somewhere in the distance I could hear Bellatrix screaming about Mudbloods, and for a split second I was writhing on the floor of Malfoy Manor again. I understood sacrifice. But it's nothing to trouble a group of teen aged werewolves about. I've gotten good at hiding the pain of my torture. While I'm awake, at least.

"I'd like to go for a walk," I announced to Jacob.

"Do you need some help?" he asked, standing up in a lightning-quick movement.

"Please," I said automatically, surprising myself. I wanted to go for a walk to get my thoughts about the third wife's sacrifice in order, to think about the ancient magic that protected this tribe that was surrounding me, and normally that would mean some time to myself, preferably in a large library. I was trying to get away from people, but for some reason I was craving Jacob's company.

_Jacob is something different altogether,_ I thought to myself as he helped hoist me to my feet. Something is drawing me to him, and I can't figure out what. There's something in his eyes, the way he looks at me, that has me hypnotized. I've never been looked at that way, with that intensity. Perhaps it's that intensity that draws me to him, he's another puzzle I have to figure out. Maybe this feeling of being enticed by him is just because I need to figure out the mystery behind him. Thank Merlin Harry can't get inside my head through some sort of scar connection.

I looped an arm around his, leaning against his warm body for support as we started around the circle towards the walking path down towards the beach. As we passed Sam he smiled up at Jacob, who I saw return the smile with a beam of his own. As soon as we're away from the firelight, and the path becomes difficult to see I pull out my wand and light it, holding it in front of me so I don't trip and make things worse.

"What was it like, when you first started becoming a wolf?" I asked to break the silence. "Did you know what you were getting into?"

"No. It's kind of a secret until you're part of it," he replied. "Yeah, there were some signs it was coming. I started growing. I felt feverish. My temper was completely out of control. But I had no idea what was happening to me until it actually happened. Billy wanted to tell me so badly, but we were all kind of hoping that we were going to get close, ready to change, but never quite do it. But now our pack is larger than ever, and we're starting to talk about counseling those we're sure are about to make the change. How about you? Did you always know you were a witch?"

"Not always," I replied. "I knew there was something different, that weird things happened around me when I was very emotional, but I didn't know about magic for sure until Professor McGonagall showed up on the doorstep."

"What kind of weird things?" he asked.

"I got picked on a lot at school. Big kids would steal my backpack or my homework and hide it on high shelves. I could make it come down back to me. If I was running from this girl who used to bully me tiny spaces would expand to fit me, and they would run right past without seeing me. Things like that. But I never knew what it was until I found out about the wizarding world."

"Must have been tough."

"Probably not as tough as turning into a giant animal and trying to run down vampires," I smirked, trying to redirect the conversation to him. My job isn't to go telling all my secrets to the tribe, in fact, I've probably already talked too much. It's easy for me to forget that I'm here on a job when I'm around Jacob.

"That's actually pretty easy, now that I've gotten used to it. It only sucks that vampires don't come on our land more often. The less of those parasites the better."

"How is it that a group of them seem to live nearby? Dr. Cullen can't be too far off if he's able to stop by a couple times a day."

"They live on the other side of Forks," he said, his smile disappearing. "And there's this treaty. They stay off our land, we don't tear them to pieces. We let Dr. Cullen on a couple times for exceptional circumstances, but that's pretty much it."

"But how does that work out? How do you let them hunt so close to the area?"

"They don't hunt humans. They hunt animals. It's why their eyes are gold."

I could feel my jaw drop. I remember reading the story once of a single vampire who helped instead of harmed, but that story was very old and there was only one. Is it possible that there's a whole group of vampires that don't survive on human blood? It has to be true, or Jacob wouldn't be telling me. He seems to hate vampires, so he'd take any chance to bad mouth them. But why would the Cullens willingly live so closely to a group of people who wanted them dead? I might as well buy a house here, since these mysteries seem to multiply the longer I stay here.

"As I said," he continued. "We have this treaty. They have to stay off our land, and they can't bite another human. That part is going to be somewhat problematic pretty soon."

"Why is that?"

"Edward is marrying his human girlfriend, Bella. She's told me it's only a matter of time after that before they turn her, and after that the treaty is broken."

"What happens when the treaty is broken?" I whisper, a sinking feeling of realization settling in my abdomen, wondering why the thought worried me so deeply.

"War," he said. The word sounded bitter and cold.

"But why? Isn't Bella choosing to join the family? Isn't she choosing to become a vampire?"

He threw a punch at the nearest tree, causing a limb to crack and a couple birds to take flight nearby. "There's no room for choice!" he growled through clenched teeth. "The treaty says that we fight if one of them bites another human. They're going to bite her, we're going to fight."

"Oh," I replied dumbly, worried about his temper. There's no way Kingsley is going to let me stay here if I have to fight off a vampire and a werewolf in less than a week. "I forgot to thank you," I said instinctively.

His demeanor suddenly changed, and a smile was back on his face. "For what?" he asked.

"The place to stay, the medical care, everything the last couple days. It's been really nice of you to do all this for a stranger."

"It's really not a problem," he beamed. "It's been kind of fun getting to know a witch."

I smiled despite of myself. My moods seemed to be changing with his. Bizarre.

"And you can save your thanks for a few more days. Dr. Cullen says you're to stick around until you've been magically cleared."

"And I promise to follow his advice. I think it would be a poor way to say thanks by disrespecting orders, don't you?"

"No, sometimes it's a good idea to follow orders," he muttered, eyes growing distant again.

"Perhaps we should get back. My leg is starting to bother me, and I don't want you to have to feel like you have to carry me around like a sack of potatoes everywhere," I announced, turning back in the dark towards the bonfire.

"Sacks of potatoes don't squirm as much," he joked, lifting me up by the waist to help me over a log I don't remember getting over before.

"I happen to be a very easygoing sack of potatoes," I protested with a laugh. "Or do you prefer dragging off girls who are kicking and screaming? Because I could do that if you want me to."

"I could still carry you off," he said with a barking laugh that reminded me, with a pang of sadness, of Sirius.

"Only until I've been cleared for magical transport. Then even your furry rear won't be able to catch me."

For some reason a look of hurt and loss crossed over his face at these words. "How's the leg?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I nodded. "Fine enough to take the couch tonight."

"No way," he said firmly. "Injury victims get beds."

"I spent months sleeping on a camp bed in a tent no matter what injuries I may or may not have had. I can sleep on a couch for a couple of nights."

"I don't care if you've slept on the ground for the last twenty years, you're a guest in my home, you take the bed."

"Really, I can make the couch just as comfortable..." I said, my stomach tying itself into a knot. Arguing with him is upsetting with me, and I don't know why. I argue with Harry and Ron constantly and I never feel as distraught about it as I do now.

"Please, Hermione. I would feel better if you slept on the bed," he interrupted firmly.

I stopped and looked him in the eyes, which were now determined and begging at the same time. I automatically bit my lip, wanting to argue but being unable to bring the words forth. "Fine," I nodded. I can't fight with him over something this stupid. It's making me feel physically upset. I whimpered a little on my next step, and he didn't even ask permission this time. I was up in his arms before I could protest, cheek against his warm shoulder, his breath cascading down my face as I closed my eyes and let him spirit me back towards the bonfire. But when he put me down we were on the porch of his house.

"Your bike?" I asked, looking around.

"It's in the garage. Sam brought it back. I was sort of walking us in this general direction in case you started hurting," he replied, opening the door.

"Oh. Thank you," I gave him a quick smile as I limped inside and towards his bedroom. "Anything you need out of here..." I started to ask as I turned back to him, but he was peeling his shirt off himself while standing in front of the couch, and my mind was suddenly and oddly blank to anything else but the sight in front of me. It probably went blank to avoid going vulgar.

"I'm good," he smirked as he noticed me checking him out.

"Yeah. Good. I mean..." I turned sharply away as I felt the blush taking over my face. "Goodnight, Jacob," I murmured, waving my wand in the general direction of the couch, which stretched to accommodate his height, the pillows joining into one to be a little more comfortable, the end table jumping out of the way to make room.

He chuckled. "Goodnight, Hermione."

I laid in the bed, unable to sleep for hours after that. Things have progressed far beyond a simple reclassification report. I'd be lying if I was saying I was totally impartial at this point. I may have stayed up most of the night trying to deny it, but it was only after I admitted it to myself that I was able to get some sleep. I'm not sure where they came from, and I'm sure as hell not sure what they are, but somewhere deep down I think I'm developing feelings for Jacob Black.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_(Jacob's POV)_

I was woken up sometime in the late morning by a sharp knock on the door, then by the sound of the door opening. I open my eyes and see Emily walking in, a platter of something that smells delicious in her hands, Sam following obediently behind her carting a basket probably stuffed with more delicious goodies.

"What's up, Little Red Riding Hood?" I asked, sitting up.

"You're going to be running midnight patrols for that," Sam shot back.

"Stop, you two," Emily sighed in fake aggravation. "Sam, he's not going to be running any midnight patrols while she's still around, okay?"

"You're lucky she likes you," he grumbled, dropping the basket in the kitchen.

"We brought lunch," she said unnecessarily. "Thought it would make life a little easier with Hermione. Is she around?"

"Still sleeping," I nodded towards my room door. "She was up late last night."

"What for?"

"I don't know. She seemed to have a problem falling asleep last night. I heard her tossing and turning until about three in the morning."

"Was she in pain?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so. She didn't sound like she was hurting. She just sounded like she couldn't fall asleep. But it was worse after she fell asleep," I confessed in a low voice.

"What happened?"

"About two hours after she fell asleep she was crying in her sleep, begging someone not to do it, then make a noise like she was in pain. I rushed in there, tried to wake her up, and when that didn't work I tried just holding her hand and talking to her. That seemed to calm her down. She's said some things, too. Something really bad has happened to her, and it's killing me that I don't know and can't help."

"If she calmed down, you did," Emily said with a kind smile before she went into the kitchen to start cooking. Something about the smell of food wafting through the house must have woken Hermione up, because after a couple minutes of Sam and I watching a baseball game I heard Hermione stir, carefully get out of bed, and open the door.

"Morning, sunshine," I smiled at her as she walked out. She had shed my hoodie, and had somehow produced a new pair of jeans that fit her perfectly as well as a t-shirt in the same color as her old hospital gown.

"Morning," she muttered, disappearing into the bathroom. She reappeared a few moments later, extending a hand to Sam.

"Nice to see you, Hermione," he said, shaking it.

"Good to see you again. How are things?"

"Things are good. You remember Emily?" he said, making a motion towards the kitchen, where Emily was emerging. Hermione paused for a fraction of a second- yesterday when she met Emily it was dark and Emily's scars were facing away from the fire. Today Hermione could see the everything, and to someone who knew a lot about our pack it wouldn't take her more than that fraction of a second to realize what had scarred Emily's face so badly.

"Hullo," Hermione said, and Emily probably didn't even notice she had skipped a beat as Emily pulled her into a hug.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Emily smiled. "We just know how well Jacob cooks, and we thought we'd save you."

"I'm not that bad!" I protested.

"Let me guess, you want your steak raw?" she shot back with a smile.

"Not fair. Sam likes them just as rare as I do."

"But I am engaged to Sam, and things will be really bad in the bedroom if I make fun of him."

"Ugh," I groaned. "Too much information."

"It's the best way to shut him up," she said towards Hermione.

"I doubt that there's anyone I can talk about in that way would make him upset," Hermione replied.

I scowled. If she talked about _anyone_ like that and I'm going to get upset.

Emily must have seen my dark look, because she directed Hermione's attention by asking, "How do you take your steak?"

"Medium, I guess, but I don't want you to fuss over me."

"You saw how much these boys eat last night. Grilling a couple of steaks is nothing. Could you help me, Jake?"

"Yes, boss," I grumbled, standing up and offering my seat to Hermione, who sank gratefully into it. I went out onto the porch, but Emily was already manning the grill like an expert. "What did you..."

"Shhh..." she cut me off in a hiss. "Listen."

"You're the pack leader, right? The Alpha?" Hermione was asking Sam.

"You're quite observant," he replied lightheartedly. "Yes. I am."

"Then I guess I should be thanking you for pulling me out of the ocean, you know, saving my life."

"It was Jake who jumped off the cliff after you. We had kind of given up hope when the bloodsucker pulled you over. He's just crazy enough to not care about the grim reality of certain things."

There was a second-long pause. "I'm not sure who to approach, what's the etiquette of your pack, so to be safe I'll ask you. Is there anything I could do for the pack to thank you for saving me?"

Another pause. "Jake told me you were here on some kind of assignment?"

"The American Ministry of Magic runs classifications on all magical beings inside the States. Once you guys started popping up around the same time people started disappearing. Once they realized there was a pack of very large werewolves nearby, coupled with the slew of suspicious murders in the state, and they wanted to give you the highest classification of dangerous creature. It would essentially mean that they would come in and try to thin the herd to keep the Muggles, the non-magical community, safe."

"Thin the herd?"

"Either by capture and magical containment or by..." she trailed off.

"Then what you can do for my pack is to stay as long as it takes for you to make sure that we're not subjected to that. It's not us committing all these murders, I'm sure Jake has told you a bit about that. Help me save my pack." Sam's voice is confident, like he knows she won't refuse his request, and I realize that he's not making the request on behalf of the pack. She's still here, and I told him that she's planning on staying and figuring things out. He's playing off her sympathies to keep her here, not for the pack, like she's already planning, but for me, the reason she has no idea of yet.

"I'm already planning on doing that," she promised.

"Then there's something else you could do."

"What?"

"I know you think that I'm the one you should approach because I'm the leader of the pack, but we are individuals, and I think you're starting to realize that. And I know you thanked Jacob last night, but you should really ask if there's anything you could do for him. He's the one you owe the favor, not the pack."

"Okay," she said, a smile in her voice. "He's listening, isn't he?"

"You learn quickly," Sam replied. I walked back into the house, and Sam was vacating his seat under the guise of going to help Emily. I took the seat next to Hermione, suddenly feeling nervous.

"So," she said, playing with her hands. "What can I do to pay you back?"

"I want to hear about the magical world," I blurted without thinking. Good thing I didn't think. Things could have come out even more awkward. Or something might have come out that would have gotten me slapped. But what I said was good enough.

She exhaled, and I hadn't realized she had been holding a breath. "What do you want to know?"

"Not here," I chuckled. "Let me take you to Port Angeles. There's some stuff to do there, away from the pack and the leech... er, the drama in the area. I'll treat if you talk."

"Alright," she nodded, biting her lip and brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Cool," I beamed. I excused myself saying I wanted to quickly change clothes, but I really needed a second to bask in my happiness. She probably wouldn't call it that, but I'm pretty sure I just got a date with Hermione Granger.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the very long delay. As I said in my author's note for my exchange fic I've had a lot of things on my plate the last few months. And, as I just found out last week, the reason that I have been too exhausted to sit down and write is that, as I found out last week, I have been dealing with my first trimester of pregnancy. Fatigue is a pain.**

**So, I'll try to be as good as possible about updating when I can. Please bear with me.**

**Enjoy!**

(Jacob's POV)

I had a sinking feeling when the matronly Healer from Hogwarts had shown up because, while she was there to give Hermione a clean bill of health, it also meant that Hermione would be free. Free to go stay in the woods, free to leave the area, free to never see our pack again if she so chose. And if she did I had no plan. Right now I was going to try my hardest to convince her to spend some more time in the area during our 'date' tonight. But if she's already convinced herself that she's seen enough and it's time for her to move on I have no way to stop her. Part of me was hoping that there was something wrong, something preventing her from leaving, but I hated myself for even thinking it.

I had gotten used to spying on her while she was with Dr. Cullen, so when Madam Pomfrey had put up the barrier against me I had gotten nervous. I was pacing up and down our short hallway under the watchful eye of Billy, waiting for any news and hoping that Hermione would be willing to keep me in the loop.

Finally the door opened, and the plump witch come through the door, a beaming Hermione two steps behind.

"... I am giving you the all clear, Miss Granger..." the Healer said, hesitation clear in her voice.

"Yes!" Hermione shouted before disappearing into thin air.

Panic swept over me. Not even a good-bye or a thank you or anything. As soon as she wasn't tethered to this place she got out. I could feel my breath coming in rapid, ragged spurts as I tried to process her sudden departure.

"That girl!" Madam Pomfrey hissed in frustration. "She and Potter will be the death of me yet, and they aren't even my students anymore. I don't know why I even bother tending to them," she finished, shaking her head.

"What...?" I started, but there was another loud crack and Hermione re-appeared, a backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Miss Granger!" she chastised.

"I'm sorry, Madam Pomfrey," she said quickly, as if she had been planning the words. "I haven't been able to wear my own clothes since the accident, and I really wanted some clean underwear."

I snorted as I suppressed a chuckle.

"Be that as it may, Miss Granger, you still need to take it easy for the next week or so. No long-distance Apparation jumps, no Quidditch..."

"Like I play normally," she rolled her eyes.

"If you're unwilling to take it easy, I could revoke your all-clear and make sure the Minister knows that fact," she snapped.

"I promise to take it easy, Madam Pomfrey," she nodded solemnly.

"After another week you should be clear to resume normal activity. Just be careful, and if anything seems out of place owl me."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"When you get back to London I want to see you again, just to make sure there's nothing long-term that I may have missed. And I have a salve to help with the scarring," she rummaged in her bag and came up with a blue jar.

"Thank Merlin," Hermione muttered, taking the jar.

"I can't promise that it will help all the scarring, but it should minimize their appearance."

"I don't care about a little bit of scarring, but I'd prefer to avoid being half-covered in them if possible. Thank you for everything."

"They're barely noticeable," I threw in. It was true, though maybe my opinion was skewed.

"Thanks, Jacob," she muttered with a shy smile.

"Just try not to do this again. I'm not a young woman anymore," Madam Pomfrey sighed.

"I'll try."

"I've heard that before. Good day, Miss Granger."

"Good day, Madam Pomfrey," she smiled as the elderly witch disappeared. Hermione immediately disappeared into the bathroom, where I could hear her take a shower, then take her time drying off and doing some other tasks. When she finally appeared she was wearing a new pair of skinny jeans, a purple blouse cut low enough to get attention but high enough not to show everything off, and a hint of makeup. She must have applied some of the salve, because her scars looked slightly diminished. To someone just glancing at her, they would hardly be noticeable, save for the hand-shaped mark on her arm, which was still quite prominent. But the scars didn't matter to me. She looked like perfection in that moment.

"Wow," I breathed, looking at her.

"Are we ready to go to Port Angeles?" she asked, and I could see a hint of color creep onto her cheeks from my gaze.

"Oh, yeah," I nodded vigorously. I grabbed my wallet and led her out to my Rabbit, which I had positioned near the house in case the promised rain decided to show up, but while the sky was cloudy no drops had fallen yet. We talked a little bit about Forks and La Push before I finally started asking the questions that had been nearly bursting from me for days.

"Who exactly do you work for?" I asked halfway to Port Angeles.

"I work for the UK Ministry of Magic, as an attorney of sorts in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," she replied.

"So, like werewolves?"

"Werewolves, dragons, unicorns, centaurs... there's a lot of creatures out there that you're not supposed to know about."

"And what do you do there?"

"Well, I joined to help pass regulations regarding house-elves. They're kind of servants, and very horribly treated until I got to the Ministry. I'm working on drafting regulations regarding the rights for other magical creatures, particularly what are considered half-breeds, like werewolves and centaurs. I eventually want to move on to Magical Law Enforcement."

"Like a witch cop?" I smiled.

"Not quite," she chuckled. "More like a witch lawyer. My friends, Harry and Ron, are Aurors, which are more like wizard police."

"Is that why you were given this assignment? Because you're working on werewolf rights?"

"Yes, and no. I am working on that, which made me a candidate for this assignment. Kingsley, Minister Shacklebolt, assigned it to me because I..." she trailed off, watching the trees as the car flew past them. "I needed some time away," she finished quietly.

"I know what that's like," I muttered through clenched teeth as a silver Volvo came right up on my ass, flashed it's brights twice, and passed me doing damn near twice the speed limit.

"That doesn't seem like the safest driving," she said, watching the Volvo speed around a corner.

"Unless Bella is in that car the car would sustain more damage than the occupant."

"One of the Cullens?"

"Yes. They're well known for driving like assholes. Something about being nearly indestructible I guess. And being able to afford cars that allow them to drive like assholes."

She shifted in her seat. "I didn't think Dr. Cullen was the type to drive 'like an asshole'."

"I think he and his wife are okay. The other leeches all drive like that."

"I see," she said hesitantly, as if she were afraid of upsetting me.

"Why did you need some time away?" I asked, trying to get my mind off the parasites.

She sighed. "I broke up with my fiancé. Rather loudly and publicly. At the Ministry, in earshot of the Minister. Kingsley thought some distance might do me a little good."

"Oh," I mumbled dumbly, unable to say anything else because I was being flooded with all sorts of emotions, anger being prevalent. Not too long ago she belonged to another man. She had plans on marrying him, and was obviously still upset over the breakup. Part of her heart was still his, and whoever he was, I was sure that he and I were nothing alike. But at the same time she didn't sound as though it were just a matter of time before they got back together. At the moment she was free, but I knew my goal of eventually making her mine was going to be an even more difficult battle now.

"OK, that's my dirty laundry aired," she said a few moments later with a half-hearted chuckle. "How about you? Do you have a girlfriend or anything like that?"

"No," I said with a snort. "Not for lack of trying. But the girl I liked belongs to someone else."

"Humans aren't house-elves. No one belongs to someone. They're free to make their own choices," she scowled.

Yeah, right, I thought, fighting the words from actually coming out of my mouth. I belong to you, like Sam belongs to Emily or Jared belongs to Kim. You don't know it, because I've kept it hidden, but some people really do belong to others. There is no choice. But to save myself I said, "Sorry. I should have said that she made her choice, and it wasn't me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she murmured.

"But, we're young, right? We have time to find someone else. Someone that makes us happy."

She shot me a sideways smile. "Speak for yourself. I'm twenty-three. I'm practically an old maid!"

I laughed. "Twenty-three is too young for some people to even think about settling down and buying the cow."

"I did wild and crazy. I've tangled with evil wizards, spent the better part of a year on the run, gotten into and out of more scrapes than I should have, and dealt with this vampire situation. I don't know if I could survive any more excitement."

"You better be careful. I might not always be around to jump off a cliff after you."

"Normally I would be the one jumping off after someone."

"Sometimes you just need to sit at the top and watch the waves roll in."

This time her chuckle was genuine. "Maybe one day I'll have the time."

"I'm going to hold you to it."

"You do that," she smiled widely.

"Now, enough about unromantic love lives. Tell me more about the Ministry."

The conversation was polite and lasted us until we made it to Port Angeles and pulled into the parking lot of a bowling alley.

"I'm not sure if Poppy would classify this as 'taking it easy'," she laughed as I helped her out of my car.

"I figured I have an advantage this way. I was thinking of a little side bet," I said, holding the front door for her. She waited until I had paid for the lane and we had rented shoes before asking the obvious question.

"What kind of bet?"

"Name your terms," I said, putting our names on the board as she selected a ball.

"Hmmm..." she pondered as she put on her shoes. "How about if I win, you let me see your form?" she said in barely a whisper so no one nearby heard. "And you let me take you and your father out to dinner, as a thank you for the hospitality, without complaint."

"I think I can swing those terms," I smiled. Letting her see me in form, no big deal. She had seen at least Sam, and it wasn't like she didn't know something was up. And dinner with her and Dad would be a good bonus. "And if I win, you have to come to the parasite's wedding with me."

"The what?"

"Edward's wedding. He's getting married soon, and my Dad's best friend, Charlie, would be upset if I didn't show up."

"So, you're going to a vampire wedding to appease your father's friend?"

"It is Charlie's daughter getting married."

A look of confusion crossed her face. "Is she...?"

"Not yet," I shook my head violently as I swallowed the bile rising in my throat at the thought.

"Does she know?"

"Yeah. She doesn't care. Loves him that much or something like that."

"But, they're planning on doing it, aren't they?"

"Of course. She has this thing about getting any older."

"Oh," she muttered, turning to the lane to bowl a frame. I have to stop myself from staring at her ass. Don't blame me, I am technically a teenaged boy, and we are well known for staring at any part of an attractive female. But I minimize the amount of time my gaze and try not to laugh as her ball curved wildly and wound up in the gutter.

"Have I told you physical games are not my strong suit?" she smiled as she turned back to me.

"You could always bowl granny style," I said, demonstrating the motion without standing up.

"Just wait until I hit my stride," she said with a playful smirk. She turned back to the lane and bowled again. Her ball curved the same way, but right before it hit the gutter it suddenly turned back towards the pins, slamming into them and knocking them all down.

"That is so not fair!" I couldn't help but laugh.

"That is hitting my stride," she smiled cheekily before sitting down and motioning dramatically towards the lane.

"No hocus pocus while I'm bowling," I said, ruffling her hair as I passed her. She playfully batted my hand away, thrilling me with her simple touch. I threw my ball down the lane, easily getting a strike. "I can do it without any funny stuff," I smirked at her.

"Except supernatural strength," she pointed out.

Our banter went back and forth through the game. Eventually Hermione did hit a stride, and her throws were not unnaturally curving anymore. She put up a valiant effort, but in the end I beat her by twelve pins.

"So, what does one wear to a vampire wedding?" she asked as we got back into the car after bowling a few more games.

"Something to cover your neck, I'm sure," I replied bitterly.

"If you are so against it, why don't you refuse to go?"

"Because Charlie would be upset."

"Make something up. You could get sick or something. I have a friend who produces sweets that will actually make you sick."

"Tempting," I replied, actually mulling it over for a minute. "But I should probably go. Bella is, well, was my best friend."

"You failed to mention that part," she pointed out.

"Yeah, well, it's hard to think that your best friend is about to become your worst enemy."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and it sounded genuine.

There was a long pause before I said, "I'm supposed to be asking the questions here," I said, desperate to change the subject.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Your story becomes more and more fascinating the more you reveal, but it seems like I get snippets at random times."

I bypassed the restaurant I was thinking of going to because the silver Volvo was parked outside. The last thing I need is to think every word that passes between us is being monitored and scrutinized by a nosy bloodsucker. My second choice is a neighborhood bar and grill known for grilling some of the best burgers in the area. It wasn't very crowded, so we were seated quickly, and Hermione contained a snigger as the waitress attempted to sell me different kinds of beer while obviously flirting with me.

"Do you get that a lot? The flirting, I mean," Hermione asked after we had ordered burgers and a basket of waffle fries.

"Eh, I don't get off the rez a lot, and I don't do a lot of socializing outside the pack, so, no," I replied with a shrug.

"That's got to be tough."

"You get used to it. It's for the greater good of the tribe..." I paused as I saw a smile, knowing and slightly mischievous, passed across her face. It quickly became apparent she wasn't going to tell me what caused the smile, so I kept going, "One day it'll be over. The Cullens will move on, and hopefully that'll stop the flow of parasites enough that they won't need all of us and we can stop changing."

"Some days it's hard to see the end in sight," she nodded. "But it does end."

"Not everything ends, but hopefully this will."

"It will," she reassured me.

Over the rest of dinner she told me stories of when she was younger and involved in the war, and at one point I realized that all I could do was sit and stare in wonder. What made a girl who was my age decide that she was going to risk everything to stop a madman? If I were in the same situation would I have the strength to hang on like she did?

She insisted on splitting the check after I refused to let her pay, and we started back towards Forks. I still had so many questions I wanted to ask, but she nodded off, head resting lightly against my shoulder, and I wasn't about to wake her up. I was starting to think that I was going to get her around one more night, but she woke up just as I was entering La Push.

"Do you need a place to crash another night?" I asked as I helped her out of the car.

"No, thank you, I'll be fine in my tent," she said, with a glance towards the woods.

"Do you mind if I take you there? I would feel better knowing you got there alright."

She studied my face for a few moments, then said, "Sure."

"One sec," I muttered, walking behind the garage to undress and phase. I had to steel my nerves to walk back out, but if she was shocked by seeing me like that she didn't let on. In fact she smiled, studying my form before climbing onto my back and holding on tight as I moved carefully through the woods to drop her off at the deserted looking tent.

She slid gracefully from my back, landing lightly on the forest floor with barely a sound. She walked to the front of her tent, then turned and looked back at me, stepping forward to place a hand on the side of my face and gaze into my eyes.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Jacob. Thank you," she said in a low voice, a smile playing across her tired-looking face.

Unable to answer I nodded and gave my tail a little wag.

"See you tomorrow?"

I nodded more vigorously.

"Good night, Jacob."

I replied by nuzzling her shoulder, then I stalked into the woods, taking a glance back at the tent. She was already inside, her form silhouetted by a flickering gas lamp. I made a lot of noise moving through the woods towards my house, but when I was sure that she couldn't hear me I turned around and moved back towards the tent. As soon as I could see it I laid down. The last time she was alone in these woods she almost got killed, I was afraid it might happen again. I checked on the tent one last time before allowing sleep to take over.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I have a little time 'off', since my daughter is out of town with my husband, so I'm trying to do a little updating, but this is the chapter that sort of started this whole story moving around in my brain, so I couldn't think of what else to write besides this.**

**Thanks to everyone who has shown support for this story so far. Hopefully now that my pregnancy-fatigue seems to be fading I may actually get some writing done. Or I may have just jinxed myself.**

**Enjoy!**

(Hermione's POV)

I would never say that I was happy to wake up on the old, lumpy bed in the tent usually, but now I'm glad that is where I woke up. Jacob finally got his bed back, after stuffing his oversized frame on the couch every day since my accident. The whole thing made me feel guilty, and while this bed is far from the most comfortable thing I've ever slept on, it was made slightly more comfortable knowing that someone else didn't have to sleep somewhere that would cause anyone to wake up with a backache.

I took a shower, which would just not get warm without magic, dried myself off, and made myself a simple breakfast and a steaming cup of tea. Then I sat down at the small table with a notebook and started writing down what Harry would call one of my 'patented lists'.

1. There are a pack of shape-shifters, who take the form of oversized wolves.

2. The men who comprise this pack run in age from mid-teens, to early twenties.

3. Pack members heal extraordinarily quickly, are very strong, are very fast, and quick thinkers.

4. When a member is about to join the pack they seem to finish puberty, growing very large and strong in a matter of weeks before the first transformation happens.

5. They move as a pack, and can communicate as a pack.

6. The purpose of the pack is to destroy vampires that come onto tribal lands.

7. There is a large family of animal-feeding vampires nearby (possible cause for the large size of the pack)

8. There have been 'protectors' for generations, skipping only the generation prior to the current generation due to lack of vampire threat.

9. Stories of 'spirit warriors'

10. Claim to have not caused a single human casualty, blame the recent spike in deaths in the area to visiting vampires drawn by the nearby coven

I tapped my quill against the paper. This was probably enough for me to write up a formal report and present it to the Ministry, but that would mark the end of my time here. And the very thought of that made my stomach twist into a knot. I don't want to leave. This place is beautiful and peaceful (when there's no vampires around), so I'm finding it hard to want to go back to a place where I know I'll be greeted by a stack of paperwork and a very awkward meeting with Ron. I'm not ready for it, not ready for the dozens of excuses he's no doubt thought up while I was gone, and not ready for my mom pushing for the relationship when she doesn't understand why I broke it off to begin with. If I can stall, think of reasons to stay here, I can enjoy having a little less on my plate for a while. And the fresh air is probably very good for my recovery. And Jacob...

Why can I not stop thinking about Jacob Black? Why is it that I feel drawn to him in ways that I've never felt drawn to another person? Why is it that I feel a type of, dare I say, magical connection between us? In the very limited time I've spend with him I have grown completely comfortable with him. It's much more than just figuring out about his pack and his tribe, it's more of a deep friendship. Not quite what I have with Harry, but so much more than what I have with someone like Neville. I tell him things I just wouldn't be comfortable telling a casual friend.

Which puts a very difficult decision on my plate, something I need to figure out before I can even step out of the tent this morning. My official work is done. There is no way I can justify anything I do around here as anything other than my own curiosity keeping me here. Maybe if I found the Cullens and talked to them, that would be an excuse to stay an extra day, but I'm really pushing the boundaries of 'doing my job'. So I have to decide- do I stay, try to think up some reason, any reason, not to go back to London, or do I admit that I'm done and go back and face the problems facing me like a mature, responsible adult?

I'm delusional if I think I'm kidding myself. I don't want to go back. I know my relationship with Ron is over, but I know that it's going to be a fight to convince anyone else, including Ron, of that fact. And while I feel mostly normal from my accident, I don't think I have the energy to face a wall of people who are convinced they understand my feelings better than I do. Besides, I at least have to stick around to go to Edward's wedding with Jacob. A wager is a wager, and I need to honor my side of the bargain.

The thought of staying near Jacob made me smile widely, and I gathered a few things before walking out of the tent. While I could easily just Apparate into town the day seems nice enough for a walk, and I head down the path that I saw Jacob disappear down last night. A few yards into the woods, however, I noticed something strange. The ground was disturbed, like something large had laid here for a while, like it had moved around a bit. There were no freshly fallen leaves on the spot, and several small plants had been crushed. Had some kind of animal slept here last night? Deep down, I think I knew the answer. One of the wolves must have slept here to keep an eye on me, and I know who I would put money on.

Jacob, Sam, and Emily are sitting out in Jacob's garage when I approach the house. Jacob seemed to notice me first, looking up at me and flashing his brilliant white smile, which I involuntarily returned.

"Thought you might be sleeping in all day," he said, pulling me into a one-armed hug as I walked into the garage.

"It's not that late. It's barely past..." I checked my watch and scowled. "How in the world is it half past one in the afternoon?" I asked out loud. I must have spent more time than I thought worrying about the Ron conundrum.

"It happens," Emily smiled, jumping up. "Let me go make you a sandwich."

"Oh, really, you don't have to," I bit my lip.

"My pleasure," she smiled as she rushed out of the garage.

"We've learned not to resist her," Jacob nodded to her retreating back.

"She's very nice," I nodded. "I just feel like she's doing more for me than I need."

"It makes her happy. Are you going to deny her happiness?"

"Well, when you put it that way," I smiled, sinking onto an old milk crate someone had placed a stack of old t-shirts on as a makeshift cushion.

"How is your assignment going?" Sam asked, tossing me a bottle of water.

"It's going well, but I think I have a few more things I want to figure out before I go and make a formal presentation," I replied, twisting the bottle in my hands.

"Like what?"

"I have questions about the borders, and a few rules when the Cullens aren't going to be here. And I was thinking of asking Carlisle if I could go talk to him sometime after the wedding. Just to figure out a few things about his family that you guys may not know."

Jacob's grin had disappeared in an instant, and his fists were clenched tightly around a wrench he had been holding.

"Of course, I'd do that somewhere off the reservation. I know you are uncomfortable with the amount of time the vampires have spent on your land, and I wouldn't ask you to tolerate it in a non-emergency."

"Perfect," Jacob grumbled.

"I'm glad the two of you are here together, because I had an idea," I blurted, before I could even think about to logistics of what I was about to ask. But they were now looking at me expectantly, so I pushed on. "It may help your case if I can show the control you have around humans, and to prove that your abilities are essential for hunting down vampires. If you came with me back to London I can set up a demonstration, and that might put some minds at ease. And I think the Alpha and second-in-command would make for a good show of faith."

Jacob looked excited, but Sam looked concerned. "Wouldn't that require passports and plane travel and all that?"

"Magical transport doesn't require all that. And, of course, I would be arranging everything, transportation, lodging, meals, whatever you may need. It won't cost you anything but your time."

Jacob shot a pleading look at Sam, who looked thoughtful than a moment, then nodded. "We'll have some things that need arranging, so it'll be a few days before we can go..."

"Take all the time you need. I have a few things that need to be arranged as well, so just let me know when you're ready, and I'll start setting things up with the Ministry."

"Sounds good," he smiled as Emily returned with a plate containing a sandwich and a pile of crisps.

"Thank you so much," I said, not realizing how hungry I was until the food was right in front of me. I tried to control how quickly I ate by chatting about Jacob's new pet project, an old truck Sam had bought that needed fixing up.

"So, you were wondering about the boundaries?" Sam asked when I finished and, against my objections, had my plate whisked away for cleaning by Emily.

"I just wanted to know how far the boundaries go out? Are the marked, or do you just kind of know? Who is responsible for the where the Cullens don't live and where they don't usually hunt?"

"The boundaries surround La Push, encompassing the land of our people. They aren't marked as to be obvious, but they are pretty well defined. If you asked the Cullens there's a bit of a buffer zone, a no-man's land if you will, but we don't really see it that way. We are, technically, responsible only for our land, and we are supposed to guard only our land, but the rules have gotten a little blurry. There was some unpleasantness that happened a short while back, and we did a lot of wandering into their territory to help protect the town."

"Unpleasantness?" I asked curiously.

"How about I explain it after I give you a personal tour of the boundaries of La Push?" Jacob asked, suddenly back to his cheerful self.

"Sounds like fun. Should I go back to the tent and get my hiking boots?"

"Hiking boots?" he snorted. "In your condition?"

"My condition is just fine, thank you very much," I scowled, secretly thinking that a many-mile hike may be pushing it, but determined not to show that I've still got a bit of pain.

"Either way, you're riding in style."

"So I should conjure up a saddle?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a smart mouth?"

"According to my dad, better a smart mouth than a smart arse."

He smiled widely, then placed a hand around my shoulders and led me outside. I waited as he disappeared into the woods, re-appearing a couple seconds later in his giant russet form. He walked up to me, then bent down so I could climb up on his back and carefully twisted my hands into the coarse fur. He carefully stood back up, turned away from his house, and headed back into the woods. All of his movements were careful- avoiding people and uneven terrain where I might fall off. He made his way to the cliffs, walked a short distance, then turned into the woods and started moving along a stream. I know I slowed him way down, he could have probably made the whole loop around La Push in fifteen minutes, but he was very careful with me on his back. Occasionally he would stop at somewhere exceptionally pretty, and I would often find myself wishing that the places that I had to disappear into during my time on the run with Harry and Ron were half as nice as these woods. The deeper we went the more the air smelled like damp earth and life, and the trees were some of the richest greens I had ever seen. It was an absolutely beautiful ride, and as the sun started making its way over the ocean we returned to the cliff tops. He turned again, and I assumed we were about to head back to his house. I was tired, so I leaned forward, resting on his broad shoulders, breathing in the scent that was so uniquely Jacob.

It took me some time, but I realized that it was taking a very long time for us to make it to the house. I was about to ask Jacob when he stopped in the middle of a field and bent over so I could slide off. The field was large and overgrown, but there was something off about it. As Jacob went into the woods to change I looked around and realized what it was. Several of the trees surrounding the area had been split and splintered towards the outside of the field. A few of the smaller ones had been completely flattened. There were several large grooves on the ground, like something large and heavy had been slammed into the ground and pushed along, or otherwise dragged through the area.

"What happened here?" I asked Jacob as he reappeared behind me.

"Newborn vampire battle," he said, and there was a hardness in his voice I hadn't heard from him before. "It happened just a few weeks before you showed up. The Cullens managed to make one of their own really upset, destroyed her mate or something like that. She retaliated by creating a small army of newborns with the idea that she'd bring them here and destroy the Cullens. I don't think she expected most of them to survive the attack, she just needed a couple to survive because it means the Cullens were gone. She knew about us, knew what we could do and could probably figure out what we were there for. One of the bloodsuckers thinks she was going to send them our way to finish them off and be done with them so she would be free to wander by herself. I think the last thing she expected was that we would team up with the Cullens. The newborns didn't have a chance. They split off, must have been thinking it would be more effective to come at them from two sides. They didn't expect us to be waiting for them. It was so easy that we must have just assumed we were finished, but we had missed one. I was hurt pretty badly, but thanks to all this," he said, shrugging his shoulders and looking down his body, "I got over it pretty quickly."

I was only half-listening. All these stories, they're bringing back memories of my own experiences. If I close my eyes I can se the line of Death Eaters snaking from the Forbidden Forest, smell the acrid smoke from the partially ruined castle, felt the dread rushing over me as I saw Harry's dead body and realized what he must have done...

"Is everything alright?" I heard Jacob ask in a concerned voice. When I couldn't answer immediately, for fear of a sob coming out at the memories of that day. I didn't need to ask, he just took me in his arms, my head resting against his chest, until I felt comfortable enough to speak.

"We were both too young for fighting," I replied softly. "And yet we were forced to do it."

"That annoying jerk mentioned something along those lines."

"There was a dark wizard a while back, when I was still in school. He was determined to take over the wizarding world, to establish wizard rule over Muggles. What stood in his way was Harry. We found a way to get rid of him, because just killing him was out of the question, and we spent what should have been our last year of school doing just that. It culminated in a big battle. We lost a lot of good people, some very close friends, but we won. But you and I shouldn't have had to experience what we did at such a young age."

"Could be worse," he shrugged.

"Yeah. You could have been created for some newborn army that was never supposed to survive," I pointed out.

He pulled a face. Obviously he didn't like me showing compassion towards a vampire. But it's not something I'm willing to back down on. I'm no fan of vampires, but I don't think it's right that people lost their human lives to be led like pigs to the slaughter probably only a few months later.

"I think it's probably about time to go home," I muttered, looking up at the darkened sky. "Not all of us have night vision."

"Good thing we only need one of us to have it," he smirked, starting towards the woods.

"I have another idea," I called after him.

He turned back to me, looking curious. I dug in my bag until I found what I was looking for, pulled it out, and placed it on the ground. I could hear Jacob's footfalls through the thick grass as he hurried to see what it was, and I waved my wand. Sirius' old motorbike quickly grew to it's normal size.

"Is that a..." Jacob sounded excited until he got close. "Holy shit, what did you do to this poor thing?" he asked in dismay as he ran his hand over the seat of the bike.

"Well, I will tell you that the first owner loved this thing and took good care of it. The problems started after he lent it to a half-giant to drive most of the way across the country. Then the owner went to prison and never got the chance to ride it again. So it sort of sat for nearly sixteen years, when a sidecar and a few more modifications were added. When it was ridden soon after it was involved in a mid-air battle where it was hit by a couple spells, including one that took the sidecar off rather violently, before it crash-landed in a swamp. It was lovingly re-assembled by someone with a good heart and intentions, but no know-how, then taken and restored quickly, if not as lovingly, by someone who knew what they were doing. At which point it was given to me, because I refuse to ride a broom and people who care deeply for my safety wanted me to have a means of magical transport that couldn't be tracked. Flying is still not my preferred mode of travel, but it's worth a shot, right?"

"Are you good enough to control it?" he smirked as he echoed my own words.

"Why don't you get on and find out?" I said, tossing him a helmet as I climbed on. He looped the helmet around his wrist and sat down behind him. My breath caught in my chest as his hands, followed by his strong arms, slid around my stomach, holding me tightly to him, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder so his warm cheek was against mine. It took me a second to remember how to start the bike, and a few more breaths to feel the courage to start moving. I took the bike into the air long enough to get close to Forks, where we stopped for a quick bite at a fast-food place, and then it was back on the bike.

I didn't want to take him straight home, so I drove it out of town and took it back into the air without warning. His arms tightened around me as I did, pulling me further into him. As I drove along the cliffs I realized that something about our proximity, or the bike ride, or both, had gotten him excited, and his arousal was now pressing into me from behind. And with that realization a warmth that had nothing to do with the heated body behind me settled into the bottom of my own abdomen. I felt his fingers moving lazily against my skin, felt his chest rising and falling against my back and his warm breath hitting my face. My hands tightened around the handlebars and I squirmed slightly against the bike seat, trying to get the fire in my abdomen to die, but nothing was going to help.

I landed in the small clearing near my tent, and let Jacob help me off the bike. But I didn't drop his hand after he had done so. I stood there, biting my lip, staring at our clasped hands for a moment before allowing my eyes to wander up his chest to his face.

As long as I live I don't think I'll ever see another man looking at me the way Jacob looked at me just then. It was a look of complete desire, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Carefully he moved a step closer to me, eyes not leaving mine, and I realized I had moved towards him as well, my hands coming to rest on his forearms. Before I knew it his head was dipping down towards mine. I closed my eyes, the rational half of me screaming to make a break for my tent and stop this before things went too far, but I found myself unable to move.

First I felt his breath hitting my face, then the heat radiating from his forehead as it came close to mine. There was a pause, long enough that I thought he might be re-thinking was seconds ago I was so sure he was about to do. Then his hand, which was trembling slightly, cupped the side of my face and pulled it forward so our lips finally met, and I felt as though my magic had surged through me. At first that was it, just his lips lightly against mine, but seemingly in sync we both leaned into it, and I allowed his warm lips to start leading mine in a slow, intense dance. My mind was blank of everything but the thought of standing here, kissing him, having him hold me, feeling him against me. Every nerve came alive, and the fire inside me became a full-blown inferno. We could have stayed like that for seconds, minutes, or hours, neither one of us will never know exactly how long that moment lasted. Reluctantly we both pulled away, his forehead still pressed against mine for a few seconds. When I felt him pulling away I finally allowed myself to look.

I could tell he was overjoyed, and even a little triumphant. Like he had gotten something that he had wanted for a very long time, even though we hadn't known each other that long. I couldn't tear myself from his dark, intense eyes, and felt a little disappointed when I felt him backing away from me.

"Night, Hermione," he whispered, smiling wide.

"Goodnight, Jacob," I whispered back. I watched him disappear into the woods, then walked back to my tent in a daze. Somehow I made it into a chair and started a small fire in a jar just so I'd have something to look at. As I watched the blue flames I thought about the kiss. I had never felt anything quite like it while kissing someone else. Like there's something more behind it, something I should be seeing but I'm just not. And I don't care, because I want more.

I broke the rules tonight. No, I obliterated the rules. If anyone finds out about this my objectivity will be called into question, and all the work I did here would have been a waste. There is no question that I'm no longer here for a job. But none of it matters to me. Because I kissed Jacob Black, and I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm really inspired by the amount of response this story has gotten, and I've been giving it a lot of thought recently, so I'm updating again out of turn. I'm trying to get back to my other stories, but writer's block is a female dog.**

**I've checked this over, but my keyboard is acting up, so please forgive any errors. I'll go over it again when I'm not so sleep deprived.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. Enjoy!**

_(Jacob's POV)_

It was Leah's patrol night, so rather than risk having to spend time listening to the horrors she continuously spouts while out 'alone', and knowing that despite her complaining she'd be keeping a close eye on Hermione's tent, I wandered back into town but didn't go to Billy's. He was over at Charlie's that night, something he had been doing a lot more because Charlie needed the support to get through the whirl-wind wedding plans. Which meant that, if I wanted food (even though I already ate dinner, I get hungry quickly) my choices were cook it myself or scrounge for the leftovers at Emily's house. Bonus points if I get to make a pest of myself and put off their 'activities' for a couple hours. But as I got close I realized that there was some sort of video game battle royal going on, and that Sam didn't have a prayer of getting lucky for a while.

"Holy shit, he looks happy," Seth announced as I walked in. Being the youngest he had been regulated to the table as Paul, Sam, Quil, and Embry were busy pounding on buttons as though their real, and not cyber, lives depended on it.

"He spent all day with Hermione, why wouldn't he be happy?" Sam shot back, skillfully taking out Paul with a sniper shot to the head. Paul swore so loud I'm pretty sure they heard it all the way in Forks.

"Maybe she slapped him and told him to bugger off or whatever those Brits say," Quil offered.

"Then he wouldn't be smiling, dumbass," Paul hissed.

I decided not saying anything was the best plan of action, and wandered towards the kitchen where Emily was piling food on a plate for me.

"How did it go?" she asked as she spooned potatoes onto the plate.

"Good," I replied as vaguely as possible.

"Where did you take her?"

"Around the boundaries. And then off to the field where the newborns were."

"What did she think?"

"I think she was mildly interested in the borders, and very interested in the newborn fight. Though there was a point where she seemed very distracted, like she was remembering something."

"Did she say anything?"

"Yeah. That she spent what should have been her last year at school in some kind of war. That she felt we were both too young to be going through that."

"She's opening up to you," she said, placing a hand gently on my wrist. "That's a good sign. It's more than she's been willing to tell anyone else around here."

"Mm-hmm," I nodded, thanking her for the food and then going to sit at the table and pretend to be engrossed in the battle playing on the screen. But my mind was in the woods, out in front of Hermione's tent. The moment had been perfect. I would have been an idiot to pass it up. I think I started to realize I was going to kiss her in the clearing, before she even confessed about being a fighter. When she suddenly became distraught and looked to me for comfort. She could have closed herself off, could have blamed me for bringing up old memories, but instead she turned to me as a source of strength and consolation. In that moment she needed a friend, not just an acquaintance, to help her handle her feelings, and she felt I fit that role. I was over the moon. Then she confessed to me that she was a reluctant warrior, and in that moment I realized we were more than two souls that fate decided to randomly throw together. We had a connection, a small little thing like being forced into fighting, something we could bond over, and with any luck, grow a relationship together with.

Then she got out that bike. As much as it looked like it drove through a minefield the fact that she drove it gave me a glimpse at another side of her. A side that was a little rebellious. She dismissed it casually, something to fly on when most witches and wizards chose broomsticks, but not every woman would want to drive that thing. It was big, it was powerful, it could run over Bella's bike as easily as an anthill. And the way she looked at it, like it wasn't just a bike but an important machine that needed a firm but loving touch that few had mastered, was undeniably sexy. So what does she do? Offers me a ride. Knowing there would be no way we could both fit on the thing without being pressed together. And God, did she feel good pressed up against me. I did everything I could to keep from becoming excited at the combination of the sheer power of the bike and the sexy woman wrapped tightly in my arms, but I lost that battle. And if she was bothered by it she didn't say anything.

I could not have scripted the day better. And sometime while we were riding over the ocean I realized that I couldn't even enjoy the beautiful view unfolding below us. All I could think about was when we landed, how I think I would go crazy if I didn't get to kiss her. I played out every scenario in my head, admittedly more turned out in my favor than not, but I did not doubt that she could and would hex me if she thought I was crossing a line. And as hard as it had been for me to think about holding back I decided that I would watch her, read her as best I could to see what happened as soon as she landed. My heart flew when her hand didn't leave mine. It was my opportunity, and I took it with only a moment's hesitation. Right before our lips met I paused, giving her that last second to react. Because I still can't get what that black-haired asshole told me out of my head. She could have any wizard out there, by any means she should be laughing in my face for thinking I was good enough for her. And yet she was leaning towards me in anticipation. So I had to kiss her. And it was perfect. I'm not getting that image out of my head for a long time. Hopefully never.

But now where to? What did this mean between us? Had she had been as caught up in the moment as I had felt? Was she going to re-think what had happened as soon as there was some distance between us? Now that I've gone this far I can't stop. I have to fight for her. Out of everyone in the pack, I was the one in the most danger of losing their imprint, but I was determined not to let that happen.

The sound of the door opening startled me away from the memory of Hermione's lips on mine. I looked up, expecting to see a pissed-off looking Leah or maybe Sue Clearwater coming to insist her youngest get home by a reasonable time, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Rachel standing there.

"Big sis!" I smiled, hurrying over to envelop her in a big hug. I knew she had been coming back after finishing school and doing a little job-hunting for something that would keep her away from LaPush. Nothing had panned out, so she was moving back in for a while until she could get on her feet, but Dad never mentioned exactly when she was coming home.

"Jake?" she asked tentatively, pushing me away so she could look at my face. Not that I blame her. I have about a foot and a half and around seventy pounds of muscle on me since the last time she saw me.

"In the flesh."

"Holy shit, Jake. Dad said you were growing like a weed, I didn't think he meant it literally."

"Love you, too, sis. What brings you over here?"

"I just got home to find an empty house. I headed over to the Clearwaters to see if Dad had gone over there before I bothered making a phone call to Charlie's, and she said those two were watching some game they didn't want to be distracted from, and if I was looking for you to try up here."

"Yeah, this has become a bit of a rez hangout for some of the local..." I trailed off as I turned to the group. I felt the smile leave my lips as fast as if someone had smacked me across the face.

"Jake?" she asked as I fought the vomit threatening to make an appearance.

"Oh, fuck me," I groaned. Sam followed my gaze, and held back a laugh as he realized what I was looking at. Paul was staring at my sister, and not in just one of those 'I'm a teenaged boy and that girl looks hot' ways. It's a look we saw on Quil when he first laid eyes on Claire, how Sam looks at Emily sometimes, how I can only assume I look at Hermione. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Of everyone who could have imprinted on my sister, why the fuck did it have to be Paul?

I knew Quil must have figured it out, because he suddenly doubled over in silent fits of laughter. Embry was looking like the world had gone crazy until Quil stopped long enough to whisper in his ear, then they both started giggling like preteen girls who had just made a sex joke.

"What's going on, Jake?" Rachel asked, now sounding very concerned.

"You'll find out soon enough," I grumbled, pissed that my mood had gone from such an unbelievable high to such a bottomless low in less than a second. "You remember Paul?"

"That's me," Paul said dumbly with an awkward wave.

"Yeah," she said slowly as the ever-supportive Emily showed up next to her, ready to help her through the heap of shit that was about to be laid on her now that she was an imprintee. What a day she must be having. Get home from college to find an empty house, then find your brother only to find him unnaturally tall and muscular, and ending with the revelation that there are werewolves and vampires and for good measure, depending on how many details I'm willing to reveal about my own imprint, witches and wizards. With an extra helping of 'here's a werewolf who is going to be panting after you for the rest of your life'. Not as fun as falling off a cliff with a vampire clinging to you, but she's a sure lock for second-place when it comes to 'shitty moments for our imprints'.

"Sit down," I instructed her, waving at a seat as far away from Paul as possible. "This is going to take a while."

**XXXXXXXXX**

_(Hermione's POV)_

Years of dealing with Harry and Ron's rubbish has taught me how to act calm when I'm really going crazy on the inside. I got sick of people commenting on the bushiness of my hair, or the ferocity of my lip-chewing, or my temper to rival Snape's, so I slowly began to internalize. Yes, it's still very possible for someone looking to know I'm troubled, but at least I'm not a pacing, bushy-haired, bleeding-lipped, miniature bat-of-the-dungeons when these sort of things hit now.

Jacob nearly threw me back into my old self. I waited until he was gone to start pacing, and as soon as I realized that I was I pointedly sat down and gripped the sides of the chair as if my life depended on it. Damn, this is not what I needed when I came here. How could things have gone so off-course so fast? How could I come here with no intentions of interacting with the pack and wind up having such an amazing kiss with one of them? How in the hell did I wind up in this mess because of a bloody vampire?

This mess was beyond my control. I had been thinking about it for hours without realizing how much time had actually passed, and had nothing to show forit. I needed help. I needed an expert.

I needed Ginny.

Somehow I managed to expand the little metal wood-burning oven into a full-sized fireplace. I found Floo powder in my bag and tossed in a handful, then leaned over while asking for Grimmauld Place, my head re-emerging in the kitchen.

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ginny shrieked, still in her pajamas, as she spilled a cup of tea. Kreatcher was right there with an old rag to start cleaning, but this time I wouldn't say anything about the continued imprisonment of the house-elf. I needed a happy Ginny, or at least not a sour one.

"Morning, Ginny," I smiled. "Harry already at work?"

"Just got home, actually. They had a raid last night. Brought in some former Snatcher. He was out 'til the wee small hours on the raid and doing paperwork."

"So you have a few minutes, then?"

Her eyebrow raised and her tea was immediately forgotten. "What's going on, 'Mione?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk, is all."

"Right," she said skeptically. "You want to come through?"

"Why don't you come this way? Privacy and all that," I said, hoping my blush wasn't too evident.

"Out of the way," she ordered, standing up. Within seconds she was stepping out of the makeshift fireplace, dusting herself off without regards for my tent. "What's up?" she asked by way of greeting.

I gestured to a couch with a rickety coffee table in front set with a mismatching tea set that still held the tea I had made earlier to help me try to keep my head on straight. We sat down without me starting anything and I served the tea.

"You're looking great. Harry said you looked like hell the last time he saw you," she said as I served her.

"Tell Harry he's got such a way with words around women. Honestly, Ginny, sometimes I wonder how he hasn't managed to drive you off yet."

"I do believe we're here to talk about you, 'Mione."

"Right," I muttered, absentmindedly swirling my tea. Before continuing I took out my wand and waved it around a few times.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"There's a lot of people, things, out there with extraordinary hearing. I'm just trying to keep things private," I told her, then I took a deep breath before I started at the beginning, detailing everything from the vampire attack to what I had learned about the pack dynamic from being able to interact with them. She gamely listened to everything, but when I finished she, in true Weasley fashion, cut right to the chase.

"While all that is interesting, I doubt it would be enough for you to call me here in the middle of the night," she started at me intently.

I sighed, and decided that I had summoned her for advice, the least I could do was be honest. "I crossed a line tonight, Gin," I said softly.

"What did you do?"

"Well, I've gotten pretty friendly with the one pack member, Jacob. He was the one who took care of me after my accident."

"Right."

"Well, it started today by him showing me the boundaries of the pack's land. He was in his wolf form, and I was riding on his back. Then he showed me this area where they had a battle with a bunch of newborn vampires a few weeks back. And I started confessing a little about the war to him. Then I gave him a ride back on Sirius' bike, we had a bite to eat, rode around a little more, then I brought him back here because he seems to like to make sure I'm safe. And I, er, we, well, he..."

"You kissed him," she said matter-of-factly.

"More like he kissed me," I corrected.

"Mmm," she nodded knowingly. "Did you fight it?"

"No."

"Did you like it?"

"What kind of question...?"

"A very important one. Answer."

"Yeah," I nodded, and I would have been surprised if she heard me say it. There was a moment's pause before I added, "It was like nothing I've ever experienced."

"Better than my brother then?"

"That's probably more than you need to know about Ron."

"You're right. That's a line even purebloods don't cross. Still, are you saying that there was something special about this kiss?" she was leaning forward, now totally engrossed in my story.

"Yeah," I admitted. "I guess I am."

"And you're worried because you're here on a job where you were supposed to stay away from these werewolves, not start a relationship with one."

"That's the bare bones of it."

"And now, because you're Hermione and as worried about your professionalism as your love life, if not more, you're wondering if I think you should just leave and end this before it goes any further or if you should do something crazy like let yourself start to fall for some werewolf half a world away from London."

"Something like that."

She looked as though she were thinking for a moment as she sipped her tea. "Hermione," she finally said, looking me square in the eye. "You know how important family is to me. I'd defend my family to the death, and that includes my idiot brother who messed things up with you. I don't want to see him hurt in any type of way, and I know he's still got feelings for you that I'm not quite sure he understands. I know that seeing you with someone else would probably hurt him, and I don't want that, but at the same time I know that you two just weren't working out, and that a lot of other people seem to be refusing to see that little fact. You are a beautiful, bright woman who has a lot more to offer than what Ron thinks you have. And if he can't appreciate that, you deserve someone who does. Now, I've never met this Jacob, so I don't know if he would appreciate that any more, but I'm thinking that there are feelings you have towards him that you're ignoring or pushing away because you are too scared to have them, at least right now. You may not be the biggest believer in fate, but just think about it. If it wasn't for that vampire that night you wouldn't have met Jacob, and you probably would have already finished your report and right now your biggest concern would be what to do about Ron. But because of that accident you suddenly have a man who can't seem to get enough of your presence, who you seem to be drawn to, and who you can't help but kiss and suddenly have your world turn inside out. I think there's something bigger than you and I realize at work here, Hermione. I think you already know what you really want to do, but because it's not the logical thing to do you need someone else to tell you that it's okay."

My mouth was hanging open. She was right. There was something strange drawing me to Jacob. Something beyond any magic that I knew about. And every part of my body was screaming for me to try to figure it out what these feelings were and where the relationship could go. But my head was realistic. I had a job to do, and the job was suddenly even more important because it effected Jacob, and really the whole pack's futures. I needed to finish my job, to do what I could to ensure the safety of the pack and therefore Jacob, before I could shut down the logical part of my brain off and let myself explore my feelings. I desperately wanted to spend more time with Jacob, to allow the relationship to play out, but it would have to be put on hold just long enough for me to finish my work. After that I had some tough decisions to make.

"Thanks, Ginny," I smiled as we hugged each other. Harry and I might be best friends, but this whole situation needed a woman's touch, and Ginny and I had become each other's shoulders.

"Do I get to stick around long enough to meet this Jacob?"

"You would want to," I smiled.

"Depends. How good looking is he?"

"Ginny!"

"Fine. But I expect to meet him if things start getting serious between you two."

"You'll probably meet him before that. He and the pack's Alpha are coming with me back to London for my presentation."

"Lovely," she smiled. "Way to make the best of a bad situation. I was telling Harry that only you could travel out to the wilderness on an assignment meant to get you away from everything and have a vampire attack you."

"I'm just lucky, I guess. Though that reminds me, I have one more favor I need to ask of you."

"Anything," she nodded.


	12. Chapter 12

_(Hermione's POV)_

As much as my bottom was objecting to an hour and a half of sitting in the same, uncomfortable chair with my back as straight as possible and doing my best not to move and mess up what Ginny was doing. She was delighted at the opportunity to be my stylist for this wedding, as I had not planned on doing much more than living in the woods and, as thus, had decided against bringing anything more formal than a sweater with no holes in it. So I asked Ginny if she could visit me the day of the wedding, bringing me everything I might need to look presentable, and not only had she rose to the occasion spectacularly she managed to keep everything from Harry, even the brand-new dress she had stashed in their closet. I felt bad that she had gone shopping, especially since I had plenty of dresses at home, but she was concerned at making me look perfect, and told me my thanks would be not complaining. I was happy to comply.

"Almost done," she muttered, as I felt something fluttering over my eyelid. She stepped back to admire her work, then said, "Alright, I think you're ready."

I opened my eyes and immediately sought out the mirror. I had to hand it to Ginny, for a girl who earned her living whipping around the Quidditch pitch on a broomstick she knew how to clean someone up and make them look presentable. As much time as she had spent with her fingers in my hair the soft, careful curls looked effortless. The makeup she had applied was subtle, but a definite improvement over the barely-slept, living in the woods look I had been rocking lately. The dress she had bought me was a lilac-colored halter-topped sheath dress, and it clung to my body without being overly sexy. The final accents were a pair of silver high-heeled sandals, and some understated silver jewelry she strategically placed to draw attention away from the battle scars and hand-shaped burn that I still bore.

"Wow, Gin," I smiled. "You're brilliant."

"I know, I'm a genius, an artist, whatever you want to call it you owe me a night out for it."

"You'll get two," I smiled.

"Now, do you think you can make it through this wedding without winding up in the hospital? Or should I call a healer to be on stand-by just in case?"

"You know how it is with me," I rolled my eyes. "It's not a party until someone winds up in the Accidental Spell Damage wing at St. Mungos, but seeing as we're pretty far away from there, perhaps I'll have to tone it down a bit."

"Maybe just a tad. When are you coming in? I'm eager to meet these wolves."

"Tuesday afternoon."

"I'll get the spare rooms ready and tell Kreacher to prepare extra food."

I couldn't help but shoot her a look.

"Come on, 'Mione," she groaned before I could say a word. "He likes it, and we're paying him even though it's driving him crazy we are. We've found his wages stashed all over the house, he hasn't spent a knut. And you know he's a good cook."

"Still..."

"I'm not fighting with you on this. If I even suggest that his head won't wind up on the wall he goes into fits. That's all he asks, and while we have said we're not going to kill him we did promise to do that when he goes. Let him live out the rest of his life happy, Hermione, and I promise we won't replace him."

"Fine," I sighed.

"Now, you have fun, be safe, stay away from anything you shouldn't be drinking. You know, the whole 'don't do anything I wouldn't do' bit."

"I got it."

"Now go get your werewolf," she smiled, giving me a hug. I grabbed the clutch that was holding my wand, then Apparated to Jacob's house, landing on the front lawn in front of a larger crowd of people than I expected. I couldn't identify one of the girls, but the concern that flooded over me quickly drained as I saw the way Jacob was looking at me.

"Wow," he breathed, looking me over quickly several times before slowing down and looking again, this time taking in the details. His smile was growing wider as he did so, and I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks once again. He was wearing a nice pair of slacks and a button-up shirt, a tie draped around his neck but not done up, the whole ensemble looking a little odd on his tall, muscular frame.

"Good to see you again, Hermione," Billy said, wheeling his way over to me for a one-armed hug. He, too, was wearing what looked like his nicest outfit, topped with a worn black hat.

"Good to see you, too, Mr. Black," I smiled.

"I don't believe you've met my daughter, Rachel," he said, motioning to the girl I didn't know, who I now realized had Paul standing closely behind her, arm haphazardly around her middle.

"Nice to meet you, Rachel," I smiled, walking over to her to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you, too, Hermione," she grinned, a lopsided smile she shared with her brother, and looked at me with a knowing in her eyes that confused me. Like there was something this girl I had never met before knew about me that I myself didn't know.

"Are we about ready to go?" Sue Clearwater asked, coming down off the porch to take a position behind Billy. To my surprise Seth was behind her, dressed nicely and grinning widely.

"You're going, too?" I asked him in surprise.

"Yeah. I'm a little more forgiving towards the Cullens than the rest of the pack, and a bit more friendly. It earned me an invite," he replied.

"Well, at least Jake will have someone to talk to," I smirked.

"Someone's got to keep him in line," he chuckled.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and instinctively knew it was Jacob's. "Come on," he said softly, turning me towards the garage. "We're going to drive separately. Three people in Billy's truck is crunched enough. We don't need to try to squeeze in five."

"Okay," I said, and he took my hand to lead me into the garage. Without a word he opened the door to his Rabbit, but before I could get in he bent down, and kissed me again. Even though I had promised myself that I wasn't going to start anything until after the hearing, his lips felt so good on mine I couldn't help but kiss him back.

"You look absolutely stunning," he murmured after he had pulled away.

"Thank you," I bit my lip. "You look..."

"Like I was stuffed into a monkey suit?" he grinned, helping me into the car.

"Not quite the words I was going for, but accurate," I chuckled as he climbed into the driver's seat. "Are you going to be okay with this?" I asked as he pulled out of the driveway.

He glanced at me, and I could feel him looking me over again. "I think I'll manage to get through it," he said, before taking off down the road to catch up with his dad's truck.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_(Bella's POV)_

It was just a few more minutes before I would be walking down the aisle, and so many things were running through my head I had trouble making sense of any of it. But for some reason, in those final few minutes, my mind was not on my groom-to-be waiting for me downstairs. No, I had heard his booming laugh coming from the main floor, and now my mind was completely on Jacob.

I had been surprised to hear that he was coming. I was convinced that he was going to stay well away, and not even bother sending his regrets. But a week or so ago Edward slid me a piece of paper, that I could tell from a distance was an RSVP card, but I literally had to do a double-take when I read the name. And my heart started to flutter. Jacob was coming. But in the next second my happiness turned to confusion. Because scrawled after his name was 'and guest'.

_"Guest?" I had asked Edward._

_"Yeah. That girl he's been taking care of," he replied, suddenly concerned with seating arrangements to keep the Quileutes well away from the Denalis to minimize the possibility of a disagreement._

I vividly remembered the night that I woke up and Edward was gone. I panicked for a couple minutes before Alice climbed in through my window and explained that there had been an accident on the reservation- a vampire had attacked a girl, but she had managed to light it on fire and survived, but was very badly burned. She had no idea how the girl had known to burn the vampire, nor how she managed to pull it off, but she did and Edward was hurrying over in an attempt to try to know what the girl was thinking. Edward was back when I woke up. The girl was stable, and Carlisle was convinced she was going to survive. But she was still in a bad way, and for some reason they were keeping her at Jacob's house rather than the hospital. I had a lot of questions, but Charlie got up and wanted to talk to me, and I didn't get a chance until that afternoon, but even when we did talk Edward was a little short on details. At least, until that night.

_"I didn't think she'd be ready to go out just yet," I said in surprise._

_"She's actually mostly healed," he replied with a chuckle. "Her magic really helped with that."_

_"Magic?" I repeated._

_"Yes, Bella. She's a witch."_

I don't know why the revelation that there were wizards and witches was surprising, but it did catch me off guard. Charlie was gone at a meeting, so Edward managed to tell me everything he knew about the magical world, which he admitted wasn't much, since that world had a tendency to hate most anything to do with vampires. But this witch was different, he said, and she was open to give anyone a shot, and was more worried about a person's character than what they were. She would probably be excited to be able to go to a wedding where she could talk to vegetarian vampires.

And so I wasn't worried about Jacob's guest. And I convinced myself that he was coming to support me and not because Charlie and Billy were forcing him to go. I barely gave the girl any more thought other than to ask how she was doing until Carlisle assured me that other than some scarring she was fine.

Suddenly it was time, and I was on Charlie's arm, making my way to the staircase so I could make my grand entrance. And before I could see the altar I could see Jacob. Even though everyone was standing and looking back towards me, his eyes were down, looking at the pretty girl I've never seen before in a lilac colored dress standing next to him, who was gazing up at me with a passive interest, seemingly oblivious to the look of complete devotion she was receiving. And there was something in his eyes, something I had seen in Sam's eyes when he looked at Emily, something I had wondered if she appreciated as much as she knew. And my step faltered slightly, barely enough for Charlie to even notice.

Jacob had imprinted. And, even though the rational part of me knew that this should be some of the best news I had ever heard, jealousy suddenly flooded over me. The last time I had seen Jacob his eyes were only for me. He needed me as I needed him at the time, because I did love him. But seeing him look at the girl like that and I suddenly realized how he must have felt when Edward came back and I rushed to him. He was gone, he would never need me again. He only needed the girl at his side, and I couldn't even remember her name. I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw her out. I wanted to do what I could to get Jacob to at least look up at me. But as I started descending the staircase I knew that was never going to happen again. Because even if he did look at me, it would be the look of a friend and nothing more. Jacob's love for me had dissolved in an instant, and even if I tried I could never win it back.

I tried to put it out of my mind, and looking up at Edward waiting for me did the job quite nicely. I didn't even think about it again until later that night, as everyone was dancing, and Edward said something that made me realize that I had been staring at Jacob and not him.

"Would you like to go talk to him?" Edward asked, following my gaze.

"Hmmm?" I asked, tearing my eyes from him. The girl was patiently trying to teach Jacob a dance that wasn't the awkward high-school box step, they were talking about something I couldn't hear, wide smiles across their faces, one or both occasionally breaking into laughter.

"I'm sure he'd like to see you," he continued.

"Oh. Yeah. Okay," I murmured, and we started over there, but I let off a soft wounded sound as Jacob spun the girl to him, then bent low so his lips could softly meet hers in what each probably thought was a private stolen kiss.

"She doesn't know," Edward said out of the blue.

"What doesn't she know?" I asked.

"About the imprint. He's decided not to tell her. He wants her to decide for herself."

"Wouldn't it only help...?"

"She's a very successful, very well known witch. He feels lucky that she even looked at him twice. That she could easily find someone like her, who is rich, successful, or famous themselves, and never give La Push another thought. If he tells her about the imprint, he think's it'll just scare her and she'll run, because he's afraid it would sound like he's asking her to leave her world for his, and what's the incentive for her to do that? He thinks that if he can get her to start to develop feelings for him, it might not seem such a surprise if he ever reveals the imprint to her."

I looked at Hermione then. She really looked nothing more than an average college-aged girl at a quick glance, but watching her a little more closely I could see there was more there. Her body had a myriad of scars, the most prominent being a hand-shaped burn on her arm which looked like it could be months, maybe years old, not days. Her face, while pretty, did betray a life of stress, and there was a worldly look behind her eyes. The type of person who could use something good happening in their life, who didn't feel entitled to happiness, but deserved it anyways. Most people would see having someone willing to devote themselves to them and love them without question forever with a guarantee of never losing that feeling would be a good thing, but I can see where it would throw her life out of balance. There are thousands of miles, physically and figuratively, between their worlds. She had just gotten over an injury. News like that might be too much for her to handle, but Jacob had lost once, and he was unwilling to lose again, so he knew he'd have to change tactics to do so.

While I was thinking Edward had led me over to Jacob, who didn't even seem to notice me. It was Edward who reached out and tapped Hermione on the shoulder.

"Hullo, Edward," she smiled at him. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," he beamed back. "Have you met my stunning bride, Bella?"

"Pleasure to meet you, Bella," she said, her hand moving into the space between us, but my hands didn't leave my side. So Hermione turned the attempt at a hand shake into an awkward curtsey.

"Nice to meet you, too," I muttered, looking away from her.

"May I have this dance?" Edward asked her, extending his hand. Looking into Jacob's face I could see his jaw tighten.

"Of course," she smiled, taking his hand and letting him lead her a short ways away so he could start leading her in a waltz.

"I guess that leaves us," Jacob said with a flash of a smile. He held his arms out to me and I allowed him to wrap them around my waist and started swaying on the spot with him, more distance than was comfortable between us.

"You look great," he said after a few minutes.

"You imprinted," I blurted, unable to think of anything else.

"Yeah," he beamed, looking over at Hermione, who looked much more comfortable dancing with someone who knew what they were doing. She and Edward were chatting as he expertly led her with the music. "She's great," he added.

"But you imprinted," I repeated mindlessly.

"I don't know what I was afraid of," he went on. "Because I love this feeling. I love looking at her, and the way she smiles at me, and everything about her. And I think she's starting to have feelings for me back."

"But she's only here for a short time."

His face fell slightly. "I'm not sure what to do about that just yet. We're going to have some more time together, I'm going over to England to give a demonstration to her Ministry of Magic. I'm just going to have to figure out what to do during that time. I'm going to have to show her how much she means to me, and hopefully we can work something out."

I looked at him, unsure of what else to say, and he seemed just as awkward with me.

"This is a decent gig you got goin' on here," he muttered in his search for something to say.

"Alice put it all together for us," I nodded. "Except the honeymoon. Edward put that together. He won't tell me where he's taking me or anything. He wants it to be a surprise."

"And what exactly are you planning on doing on your honeymoon? Read books?" he asked with a smirk.

"For your information, we're planning on doing the same thing all couples do on their honeymoon," I shot back in annoyance.

He stopped, finally looking me in the face, but there was no hint of the happy Jacob I craved. "How could you even think about doing _that_?" he hissed, luckily too low for anyone to hear. "He'll kill you!"

"I trust him. I don't think he's going to hurt me," I replied in a whisper.

"You're delusional," he scoffed. "It's idiotic, Bells. I know you've always had a bit of a blind spot when it comes to him, but this is beyond the pale."

"What the hell do you care?" I snapped.

He looked wounded. "Because I'm your friend."

"You sure as hell haven't been acting like it recently."

"How am I supposed to act like a friend when the leech won't let me get anywhere near you?"

"You have Hermione. You should be happy and go," I shot back.

Probably because he was listening in, Edward appeared next to us just then, a confused and conflicted looking Hermione right behind him. He and Jacob exchanged a long glance.

"I don't need to hear your opinions on _that_, mutt," Edward snarled softly.

"It's not an opinion if it's fact," Jacob shot back.

"I'm taking every precaution..."

"And you think that's going to be enough?"

"Something the matter over here, boys?" Charlie had come over after noticing the exchange going on.

"Nothing wrong, chief. Just an old disagreement cropping up," Jacob said, tension thick in his voice.

Charlie glanced at Edward, who nodded in terse agreement.

"Jake, you haven't introduced me to your friend," Charlie said, and Edward placed his hand around my shoulders, leading me towards the Denali's and away from my former best friend. In the pit of my stomach I was sure that it was the last time.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

_(Hermione's POV)_

Jacob and I had been dancing together and having a pretty good time when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Before I could even look I felt Jacob's hands tighten on me, but this was not the time nor the place to bring it up, so I let it go as I turned to look at Edward.

"Hullo, Edward," I smiled. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," he replied with a grin that I was sure Muggle girls had been lusting after for decades. "Have you met my stunning bride, Bella?" he asked, nodding towards her.

She looked sour at me, like I was some kind of competition, and briefly I thought of all the anti-magic measures taken by Muggles in the past. Still, I wanted to be pleasant, so I reached out to shake hands and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Bella". But she refused to return the gesture, and not wanting to just snatch my hand back I attempted a quick curtsey as a show of respect.

"Nice to meet you," she responded in a tone that made it evident she thought just the opposite as she looked away from me.

"May I have this dance?" Edward asked as the hidden speakers began to play a waltz.

I took his proffered hand and as he led me away said, "It would be rude of me to deny the groom a dance, now, wouldn't it?"

"The height of rudeness, I'd think," he smiled as he began to lead me around the dance floor. I'll be the first to admit that it was nice to be able to dance with someone who knew what they were doing, though I had been having fun trying to teach Jacob some basic moves.

"How is your time with the wolf pack?" he asked. "Are you learning anything?"

"Loads, though I'm sure you know most of it already. And anything you don't know they probably don't want you to know, and it wouldn't do for me to go spilling secrets," I replied.

"I wouldn't dream of asking. I daresay they won't have to be burdened with us much longer."

"How so?"

"Moving often and starting over is something we have to do quite often, due to our condition," he said in a low voice, leading me in a twirl as his sister took a picture. "And now, with Bella, it would be safer for us to move sooner rather than later."

"Because of the treaty," I said in a murmur I was sure only he could hear.

"Exactly. Changing her is a violation, the pack has made that point abundantly clear, and they are unwilling to budge on that point. There are no boundaries on the treaty, they have vowed to hunt us down no matter where we go. The best we could hope for is to disappear before that happens and rely on Alice to let us know if our futures mysteriously go blank. She can't tell anything dealing with the wolves, but that seems to happen when our lives happen to collide. Strangely enough she can't see you, but you don't cause the whole family to blank."

"Perhaps a lack of hostility? Unless one of you does what that last vampire did to me, you have no reason to fear me."

"That, or perhaps a magical defense of sorts. If she can't see you, and you don't affect her, then that decreases the chances of you meeting or causing tension in her that would draw attention to you. It's fascinating, but something that might take years of study to discover."

"And you don't have that long."

"I would gladly keep in touch, but my first job is to protect my family, and with you so closely tied to the pack..."

"We're friends," I clarified. "I have no desire to play spy for either side."

"Right. Friends," he muttered, and I was sure there was something he knew that I didn't, and it annoyed me for a second. How is it I feel like I'm the only one out of the loop on something really big and pertaining to me?

"When are you planning to change Bella?" I asked to get off the subject.

"I'm attempting to buy myself more time, but she is quite stubborn about it happening sooner rather than later. I'd be lucky to get weeks out of her at this point. More likely than not it will happen during our honeymoon."

"Have you told her father?" I asked. I had not met Charlie, but from what Billy and Jacob have said about him, I'd be surprised if he didn't have an idea of what was going on around his town. Maybe not the exact details, but that something supernatural was happening. And if it had something to do with his daughter, he was probably willing to overlook it in favor of her happiness. I had met Bella's mother, however, and she would not be the type you'd entrust any secret to. She was happy. She didn't need Bella for total happiness. Losing her daughter would be devastating, but she'd get over the loss. Charlie, on the other hand, was more concerned about his daughter and her well-being, at least according to Billy.

"No," he replied, as if the very through were ludicrous. "We are in enough danger with Bella still being alive. I'm sure you've heard of the Volturi?"

I nodded, remembering the old clan from a textbook I read at Hogwarts.

"We're walking thin ice keeping her human this long. They're very interested in seeing her changed. They'd be pushed over the edge if they found out that we told Charlie about our world."

"So what are you planning on telling him?"

"Nothing. We're planning on faking our deaths. It may be difficult for Bella to stay still through a funeral, we may have to go down at sea or something of the sort, but if she thinks she can we'll allow him to bury her."

"And you think that's the right thing to do?" I scoffed.

"It's the safest. To tell him is to risk his life," he answered calmly.

"And do you think it would kill him any less to think his only daughter is dead, and that he had something to do with it?"

"He had nothing..." he started, but I interrupted.

"Do you think that would stop him from blaming himself?"

There was a look of conflict behind his eyes, so I was cautious as I continued.

"I kept my parents in the dark about what was happening, even forcing them to not know for a while through magic. It hurt them, and it took a lot for me to gain their trust again, but in the end they were much happier knowing I was alive, that I had survived everything I had been keeping from them, and they forgave me and we rebuilt our relationship and have all learned to deal with some things we can't control. They've kept my secret, and never discouraged me. My magic almost got all three of us killed, you should see what they did to our house just days after they left, but in the end they're happier with the relationship that we have knowing they can't change something so fundamental about me, and they've learned to live with it knowing that if they rejected it they'd be rejecting me. You should at least think about giving Charlie the option. He has good protection here. And your sister would know if you would have to make him disappear for a while. Hell, I'll help protect him if you don't steal his daughter forever. If I hide him even the Volturi will never find him."

"It's something to think about," he nodded. "Once it is safe for Bella to be around him, of course. We'll have to feed the lie to him at first anyways. It would be suspicious if he acted out of sorts when she becomes dead to the world, so to speak."

"Just think about it," I pleaded. "And remember he won't be the only one in the area who knows the truth."

"The pack," he frowned. "They probably won't be in the best of moods after the news. More likely they'll do their best to make the fake story the truth," he finished with a dry attempt at humor.

"Is there no way to get them to make an exception? It hardly seems fair. You would think that this would prove you are in love, and that you're only changing her for her safety in many senses of that word."

"They don't care," he shook his head. "The treaty is written in stone according to them. They've allowed some bending of the rules recently, I know they will not break on that. There is no provision for choices."

"They can be quite stubborn," I replied with a half smile.

"And yet it seems as though you are growing close to them, or should I say one in particular. I caught a bit of an interlude between you and Jacob earlier."

"That's something I just don't understand," I admitted. "By all accounts we don't match, but I feel close to him. Drawn to him in some way, and I keep getting the feeling that he has something like the same feeling."

"I'd be willing to bet..." he started, but he frowned and glanced over at Jacob and Bella. I followed his gaze, the two seemed to be upset at each other and growing more so with each passing second.

"We should get over there," Edward said curtly, and I found myself jogging behind him as he made his way back to his bride's side. He and Jacob exchanged angry sounding words, many of which were left unspoken by Jacob but still understood. I was wondering if I should intervene when Charlie did it for me. I was relieved for the distraction, and the tension seemed to leave as Edward led Bella away. As I participated in a polite conversation with Bella's father I made a vow to myself in my head. I probably knew more about Bella's upcoming transformation than any of the wolf pack, but the Cullens had been nothing but nice to me, and I was convinced they were a good family. I would not tell the pack what Edward told me, no matter how close to Jacob I was going to get. They would not be able to prepare for war because of me. And if it came to that and I was still around, I would fight for the Cullens. The only question in my mind was how far I would be willing to take that fight.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey, everyone. I'm back, sort of. I had a rough last couple of months with my pregnancy, and between taking care of my daughter, being pregnant, and working I could barely keep my eyes open. But the good news is my second daughter was born by semi-emergency c-section on September 2nd. She had to spend some time in the NICU, but we're both home now and doing very well. I'm trying to get a bit of writing done while she's still in the sleeping all the time phase, but who knows how long that's going to last. But she is beautiful, and my husband, daughter, and I are very happy.**

**I'm going to try to be better about updating now. Hopefully I didn't just jinx myself ;)**

**Enjoy and please review.**

* * *

**(Jacob's POV)**

It was very late at night when I gathered up the knapsack I had stuffed full of clothes, made sure I had everything I needed one last time, and made my way out of my room. It was no surprise to me that Billy was waiting for me in the living room. As happy as he was for me being able to spend the time with Hermione he was nervous, though he wouldn't tell me so. I was traveling by some unknown means across the country and an ocean, and would be landing in a world that was hostile towards us and had the means of getting rid of us quickly. I was sure Hermione would keep us safe, but Dad would be on edge until I was back and assured him that our pack and tribe are safe.

"You ready?" he asked, muting the rerun of some late-night sports talk show.

"As I'll ever be," I replied.

He held out a small wad of bills. "It's not much…"

"Hermione said we don't need anything," I protested.

"Get yourself something to remember the trip. How often are you going to get this chance?" he said with a forced smile.

_Hopefully a lot more often_, I answered mentally, but thanked him as I took the money. As happy as Billy was for me in knowing that I had imprinted he was also stressing about what would happen if Hermione and I wound up together. I was a high school student, my life after school hadn't be planned yet, whereas she had a job and was a well-respected member of her magical community. It would be easier for me to move than it would her, and Billy had already lost his wife and one daughter, and he wasn't sure if Rachel was planning on staying back. His kids were all looking to get away from La Push, for different reasons, and he was looking at being alone for the first time since getting married. Even Charlie was dating again, which would leave him even more on his own. It hurt me to think he was stressing over it, and it hurt me to think that I might be leaving him, but it hurt more to think about having to live without Hermione.

"Take care of yourself, Jake," he said with a smile, this one less forced.

"I will, Dad," I promised, with no cocky assurances that I could take care of myself. I had no idea what to expect when we got into the magical world.

"I don't know if you'll be able to call…"

"Hopefully I will. We're staying with Harry, and I know he has access to a phone."

Dad scowled. He had seen a total of about thirty seconds of Harry Potter and hadn't said a word to him. It was difficult for him to trust some unknown wizard so far away, even if he was Hermione's best friend. "Just try to call when you know when you're going to be back."

"I will," I made another promise.

"Remember your tribe."

I nodded. I may be able to spend more time with Hermione going over there, but the reason I was going was to save my pack. I gave Dad a hug and walked out into the damp morning, listening to the sound of crickets and waiting to hear the sound of her approaching. But it was Sam's heavy footfalls which arrived first.

"Hey," he yawned, adjusting the knapsack he was carrying.

"Hey," I replied.

"Em sent this for you," he said, tossing me a large muffin.

I turned the muffin over in my hand. "Tell her thanks. Do you want it?"

"Already had one. Nervous?" he asked.

I shrugged and grunted, then looked at him, asking him the same question without uttering a word. He nodded as the sound of footsteps coming through the woods approached.

"Hullo!" Hermione smiled, as though being up well into the dark of the night was nothing new to her. Despite saying she was going to pack all her stuff, including her tent, she was only holding a small beaded bag and a notebook. Sam and I returned the greeting.

"So, is there a reason we're here in the dead of night?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, and it involves our destination," she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder and holding out the notebook. She drew her wand, tapped it to the notebook, and it started to glow blue.

"Grab on," she ordered, and after exchanging a nervous look Sam and I obeyed. "I warn you," she continued, "if you're not used to traveling by Portkey you're probably in for a hard landing. And you may possibly get sick."

"Perfect," Sam groaned.

Hermione either didn't hear him, or figured it was best to get it over with quickly, because she looked at the notebook and said, "Grimmauld Place".

I felt like I had been hooked by a giant invisible fishhook right behind my navel, then drag me quickly through space. I wasn't sure if I was going to get sick, because the sensation was so bizarre that I didn't even have time to process exactly what was going on. I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed it would be over with quickly. Suddenly my feet hit the ground, but since I was unprepared I toppled forward into a bush, landing on my hands and knees, fighting with my stomach which was threatening to empty whatever might be in there out onto the weeds that grew thick under the bush. Behind me the sound of retching betrayed that Sam was losing the muffin he had eaten earlier. I managed to glance back at Hermione, who was putting away the notebook in her beaded bag, looking completely fine despite the giant leap through space we had just taken. A few seconds later I felt like I had taken over control of my stomach and limbs again, so I stood up slowly and looked around. We were in an unmaintained square in the middle of a bunch of unmaintained townhouses. The sky was gray with clouds, it looked to be just before dawn. A lone car cruised slowly down the street, the driver eying one of the houses before speeding off. On a far corner two men were hanging out on a doorstep, drinking and talking to each other in slurred voices about nothing in particular. There were a few lights in windows on, and through an open window came the drone of an early-morning news anchor, but other than that the neighborhood seemed loathe to get up.

Hermione waited for a man jogging with a large dog to pass before she led us out of the overgrown square and onto the cracked pavement. She walked with a purpose to the spot between two townhouses, reaching out for the fence, and to my surprise her hand landed on a gate that I was sure hadn't been there before.

"Quickly," she hissed, opening the gate. I rushed through first, with Sam on my heels. She closed the gate behind her as Sam and I stared up in awe. Instead of the seam between two houses we were now looking at a new house that we knew hadn't been there before, darker and more foreboding looking than the ones on either side. While the neighborhood looked to be struggling at best, this house was downright creepy. A milkman drove past, his eyes sliding from the house on one side to the one on the other, with no notice of the one we were standing in front of, and I was sure he couldn't see us or the mysterious gate that led us here.

"This is Harry's house," Hermione informed us, climbing the front stairs and knocking twice before entering. We followed her into an outdated, but mostly clean entrance hall. The first thing I noticed was several of the portraits of stuffy, old-fashioned looking people craned their necks to see who had entered. They were placed down the hallway, in the center of which were two dusty, worn curtains that I realized couldn't possibly be covering a window. Hermione was pointing to these and keeping her voice low when she said, "We need to be quiet in here, lest we wake up Sirius' Mum. I'm in no mood to listen to her rant, the crazy old bat."

Sam and I exchanged glances, wondering exactly how a person could be held behind those curtains, and seemingly to mutually agree that we didn't want to know. There was the sound of shuffling steps, and suddenly Sam gasped and jumped backwards. A small creature with bat-like ears and giant eyes wearing what looked to be a dirty pillowcase and had a weird locket hanging around his neck had grabbed his knapsack away from him, startling him as we hadn't seen him coming, and was now reaching for my knapsack as well.

"Kreacher, there's no need…" Hermione started as he took my knapsack and started to reach for her beaded bag.

"Master Harry asked me to bring your things up to your rooms, and to have you join him for breakfast, Mistress Hermione," the thing said in a gruff voice.

"Are you sure?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned for the thing.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Thank you, Kreacher."

We waited until the tiny being had hobbled up the stairs, our knapsacks and the beaded bag floating in front of it, until Sam and I looked at Hermione in amazement.

"House-elf," she explained. "Servants of sorts, but don't think you'll be able to boss him around. It took a lot for Harry and I to earn his respect, but he's not going to be taking orders from half-breed Muggles anytime soon. Don't be offended, it's just how he was trained."

"No prob," I muttered, thinking that I'd rather not have much communication with Kreacher anyways.

"Come on, I'm sure you'd like something to eat," Hermione said, leading the way down a dark stone staircase and pushing open a door to a kitchen.

"Hermione," Harry beamed, shooting out of his seat to envelop his best friend in a tight hug. "You look great."

"I feel great, Harry," she replied, holding him tightly as well. "Poppy is a miracle worker. And, of course, Jacob helped a lot, too."

"Thank you, Jacob," Harry held his hand out to me.

"It was nothing," I shrugged. "Happy to help."

"You must be Sam," he said, and I moved so Sam could introduce himself. "And this is my fiancé, Ginny," Harry said, stepping aside and allowing a girl with red hair through.

"Ginny Weasley," she introduced herself to Sam first, then turned to me to repeat the greeting. She looked me over more carefully than she had looked over Sam, and her smile was a bit warmer. Afterwards we all sat down at a long table which had been laden with enough food for ten. Hermione must have warned them about how much food Sam and I could put away.

"So what do you do when you're not doing the pack stuff?" Harry asked as we ate.

"I mainly just deal with the pack stuff," Sam confessed. "It's been a bit of a full time job recently."

"What do you want to do when the work slows down?"

Sam shrugged. "Probably just something on the rez. I want to stay close, being the Alpha and all. I want to help anyone who wants to stop phasing to do so. Maybe raise a family or something. My fiancé, Emily, wants to stick around, so I guess I get to as well."

"How about you, Jacob?" Ginny asked.

"I'm finishing High School right now. I don't know what I want to do afterwards. Probably go to school. I may do something with cars, or I might just take a few classes and see what sticks."

"High school?" she asked with a glance at Hermione, who shrugged.

"It's just so we don't raise suspicions on the rez," I added quickly as an explanation on why I didn't drop out as soon as I had suddenly matured mentally and physically. "Well, raise any more suspicions than what we already have. It's not normal for a bunch of teenaged boys to suddenly grow so tall and strong. People talk, but they're way off on what they're thinking, and we don't bother to correct them."

"What do they think?" Hermione asked, with the look like that whatever information I give was going to go straight into her report.

"That we're running some kind of gang. Taking steroids and working out and all that. They think we might start roughing up the tourists or something. There have been a few complaints to the elders, but the elders know the truth and keep saying they have us under control."

"So no one on the reservation besides your pack and the elders know about the pack? No one has figured it out yet?"

"I'm sure you guys understand the importance of keeping the secret and making sure people think stories stay stories," I muttered before taking a bite of toast.

There was a silence that fell over the room that apparently Ginny got sick of first. "Hey, 'Mione. You know what might be fun? How about you bring Jacob and Sam to my Quidditch game tonight?"

"Quidditch?" Sam asked, sounding curious.

"Wizard game played on broomsticks," she explained simply.

"Sounds like fun," he smiled.

"I'm in," I nodded. We finished breakfast over a general explanation of the rules of Quidditch, occasionally with the use of an orange, a couple apples, and a grape flying through the air between flying spoons and into levitating pots and pans as visual aids. Hermione got fed up with the flying utensils and food and used a rolling pin to cause an apple to hit Harry between the eyes, breaking his glasses and effectively ending the demonstration.

"Come on," Hermione said in a low voice, taking my hand while Sam helped Harry and Ginny with the dishes and leading me out of the room. We moved in silence through the hallway with the drapes, past a line of what appeared to be severed house-elf heads mounted on the wall, and past a giant family tree where several of the names had been burnt or blasted off, ending up in a large and dusty-looking library.

"Wow," I breathed, looking around the room at thick tomes with titles like A Pure-Blood Genealogy and The History of the Dark Arts.

"There's some things in here I think you and Sam would like a look at," she said, eyes darting over some of the different shelves. It took her a few minutes to find what she was looking for, and when she did she summoned a small stepladder to help her get towards the top shelves. She started to pull a few books down, and I moved behind her to see what she was getting. Before I could get a look, however, the books flew through the air and landed in a neat stack on a coffee table in front of a faded couch.

"Help me down?" she asked, using the shelves to steady herself as she turned around.

"Always need me as the white knight, do you?" I smiled, grabbing her waist. Instead of helping her down, however, I pulled her towards me. This time she seemed to expect the kiss, her arms automatically crossing behind my neck, her body leaning into mine. The kiss was sensual, but not as intense as our first, and her smile was genuine as she pulled away from me.

"We're never going to be able to look at those books if you're going to do that instead of helping me down like I asked," she smirked.

"I think I know which I prefer," I replied, but lifted her up by the waist and set her gently down on the floor. We sat on the couch next to each other and she picked up the first book.

"The Origins of Werewolves," she read the title aloud before she handed me the book.

"Like real werewolves?" I asked, flipping through the pages and taking in some of the old drawings depicting grotesque half-human half-wolves. "With the full moon and all that?"

"Yes, that kind," she said, grabbing another book, My Life by the Moon. "My former professor, Remus Lupin, swore by this book when he was young and first dealing with his 'furry little problem'."

I opened the second book to the table of contents. The chapters were titled straightforward- 'How I got my bite', 'Illness in the Days Before the Full Moon', and 'Pain of Transformation' among others. I knew that I wasn't a true werewolf, but it would be interesting to see how closely our transformations were, especially that first one.

"This one might be more up your alley," she said, holding out a third book- Skin-walkers and Shape-shifters of the World. "It's going to wind up being modified after my demonstration, I'm sure of it. But these are the confirmed cases around the world."

I shouldn't be surprised there are others, as stories have swirled around for years, but I'm not sure I want to read this one. I know what they're going through. What am I supposed to do with the information, hold a damn convention? I guess it would be interesting to figure out what magic caused them to start their transformations, and if they have some of the same abilities as our pack. Figuring it might be worth a look I opened the book and started to read, and was soon engrossed in the different tales. The more I read, the more I wanted to go and meet some of the tribes and people with these abilities. I barely noticed that time was passing quickly until Sam and Harry entered the room a while later.

"I've got your tickets for my box," Harry said, handing Hermione an envelope.

"You're not going to sit with us?" she asked as she took it.

"Not today. It's the game where the husbands and boyfriends sit together in the family box."

"Bonding over watching your witches beat up on each other?"

"Beat up on the other team," he corrected with a smile. "And most of the Weasleys are busy so I guess it'll just be you three in that big old box by yourself, with all that food."

A look crossed over Sam's face, and I knew what he was going to do before he said it. I knew he wanted to go see a Quidditch game more than anything, but he saw an opening for Hermione and I to be alone for a while, and he was going to sacrifice his chance to see the game to give me that alone time.

"Actually," Sam announced, "I don't think my stomach had settled much from the trip. I think I'm going to sit this one out, maybe take a nap. It was night time when we left Washington."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, looking genuinely concerned.

"Yeah. Have fun," he said with a forced smile.

"Feel better," she said, sounding genuinely concerned. She then turned to me and asked, "Ready to try Apparation?"

"Sure," I smiled, my stomach sinking. Whatever that Portkey was, I was sure that Apparation, which I had seen Hermione do several times, was probably worse. Thank God I haven't had anything to eat in the past few hours. Hermione came to my side and placed an arm around my waist, and I automatically returned the gesture and squeezed my eyes shut. Suddenly I felt the sensation of getting sucked through a drinking straw. I couldn't breathe for a couple seconds, but this time by some miracle I managed to land on my feet.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked.

I nodded, wanting to keep my mouth shut for fear of sounding shaky or sick.

She took my hand and started leading me across a misty moor. I felt variations of the sudden need to leave, from an appointment I was sure I didn't have, to a general discomfort, to the overwhelming desire to just turn and run in the other direction, but Hermione's hand guided me through everything, and suddenly in front of me was a giant stadium. As soon as I could see it Hermione let go of my hand, looking nervously at the large crowd of wizards and witches that were now spread before us, streaming in the entrances. I followed close behind her, and she kept her head down as we made our way through the crowds to a narrow staircase and started to climb. After fifteen stories I lost count, and even my legs were starting to protest when we finally emerged at the very top. Hermione showed our tickets to a large wizard in a dark blue robe, who stepped aside so we could walk down a carpeted hallway. We came to a door with golden numbering and no knob. Hermione placed the ticket up to the door, which swung open. The box towered over three golden hoops on one side of a gigantic field. Two teams were zooming around on either side of the pitch, tossing balls to each other. I couldn't help but beam, and tried to commit it all to memory to share with Sam later.

"Do you want something to eat?" she asked, pointing at a spread of food.

"Not yet," I muttered, my stomach still feeling iffy from the Apparation. I didn't want to eat too much in case that's how we were going to have to get home. I made a mental note to ask if the motorcycle was available.

We sat next to each other on a couple of stadium chairs, and I placed an arm around her.

"Jacob, I need to talk to you about something," she said softly, and my stomach dropped.

"What?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"I like you, Jacob," she started, and my stomach unclenched itself a little bit. "But I brought you over here for a job. It wouldn't do your tribe any good if I brought you all the way over here, and my findings are dismissed because of my obvious relationship with you. We have to be careful about who knows about us for a while, at least until I get you back to Forks."

"And what about when we go back to Forks?"

"Let's just play that by ear," she said, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I was thinking of using some of my vacation time. Those mountains are beautiful and calming."

"When you're not getting attacked by a parasite," I smiled.

"What are the odds of that happening again?" she asked playfully.

"What were the odds of it happening once? I think you and Bella are the only two who can count yourselves as vampire attack survivors."

"I guess I'm just…" she was cut off by the sound of the door opening.

"Oh, Hermione, dear," a middle-aged woman with vivid red hair hurried into the room followed by a balding red-haired man, and Hermione hastily jumped up to accept a tight hug from her. "We were so worried about you. We weren't going to come today,it's just another Quidditch game after all, but when Harry said you were here we had to see you. Getting attacked by a vampire and surviving! We couldn't believe it, so we had to see it with our own eyes. Is everything okay? Are you still hurt?"

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione assured her as a red-headed boy who was missing one ear came in and was next in line for a hug.

"Sweet Merlin, Hermione, you get attacked by a vampire and feel the need to bring security around?" the boy said with a grin.

"George," she groaned, unable to control her smile. "I would think twice about playing around with Jacob. He's built for destroying vampires, I doubt annoying pranksters would cause him to break a sweat."

"So warned," he replied with a mock salute. He then introduced himself to me, followed by his parents. So much for a quiet box alone together. I looked back at Hermione, but she was biting her lip and looking at the door, where another redhead had just entered. This one looked like he had his share of bad days recently, and with the way he was looking at Hermione I immediately knew who he was and had to force myself not to show a negative reaction to his entrance.

"Hullo, Ronald," Hermione said quietly.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: What do you say we start flirting with that rating? Not there yet, but it's coming_. _No pun intended.**_  
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_(Hermione POV)  
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Molly, Arthur, and George showing up at the box had been unexpected, but not entirely unpleasant. It was nice that, in light of the sudden upwelling of noise from the crowd, Molly's fussing over me had been kept to a minimum. Ron showing up, however, was a completely different story. Without so much as a greeting he rushed over to me, pulling me into a tight hug, the smell of stale sweat and day-old firewhiskey washing over me. I doubt he's showered in two, maybe three days. And it hurt me to see him like that, but inside I was thanking Merlin we couldn't have our 'talk' with his family and Jacob around.

"Thank Merlin you're okay," he sobbed into my t-shirt. "I was so worried when I heard. I tried to get the address of where you were staying, but with Harry not talking and Madam Pomfrey and Snape as the only other options I couldn't. No one would let me send a healer, either. I wanted to come get you, there's a wizard hospital in Seattle…"

"Ron, I'm fine," I said tersely, disentangling myself from his grip. I chanced a glance at Jacob, and was startled by what I saw. He was drawn up to his full height, head looking dangerously close to the ceiling, jaw set, and looking closer to an angry wolf than a man in that moment. There was something behind his eyes, something that went way beyond the feelings one normally has for someone they just started seeing, the type of look you'd might expect from someone protecting their soul mate. Somewhere deep inside me I knew Jacob's feelings for me were deeper than he portrayed in that instant, but Ron's voice distracted me from the thought before it had a chance to turn into a nagging realization, and it was driven from my mind.

"Why in the world didn't you let the magical healers take care of you?" he asked.

"I was in capable hands," I replied.

"You were in the hands of vampires and werewolves!" he half-shouted.

I could feel my eyes narrow. "Who told you that?"

"Snape," he replied unabashedly. "I found him wandering Diagon Alley the day after it happened. Got him to tell me everything he knew but the address."

I scoffed at the idea that Ron 'got' Severus to do anything. Severus probably gave up the information willingly in the hopes of getting me away from La Push. Severus probably refused to betray my wishes himself, but no doubt had no qualms about manipulating Ron to try to do the task. Ron might succeed in breaking Harry where Severus could not without the use of magic, which he refused to use against anyone unless in a life-threatening situation. The man was as smart as he was insufferable, but after everything Harry had been through he was not as easy to read or to break anymore. I'm not surprised he kept the information from Ron. My health probably depended on it.

"Those vampires and werewolves took very good care of me," I said, trying not to snap.

"Those vampires and werewolves are the reason you were hurt," he shot back, and I could have sworn I heard a low snarl erupt from Jacob.

"I was attacked by a vampire that wasn't in the family that took care of me, and the wolves saved my life. Jacob here pulled me out of the ocean after I was knocked out. If he hadn't I would have drowned."

It was Ron's turn to scoff. "You're a witch. You wouldn't have drowned."

"I was burned on half my body with several broken bones and unconscious. There was nothing left in me to do magic."

"Kids!" Molly's voice cut over my own. "That's enough! If you need to talk, the Burrow is empty."

There was no bloody way that I was going to go to the Burrow alone with Ron. Jacob would probably go ballistic, he looked half homicidal right then.

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley," I said sheepishly. Ron and I could barely spend three minutes together without it escalating towards shouting match, but I was sure by the end of the night Molly would be pushing hard for a reconciliation. And Jacob would probably be more upset by that. This was turning into a huge bloody mess.

Another roar from the crowd drew my attention, and I went to go sit down. Somehow I wound up with Jacob on my right and Ron on my left, each with their arms resting near mine, which I decided to cross tightly over my chest. Jacob looked from his hand to Ron's to my arms and smirked, like he had been in this situation before, but his smirk was replaced with a scowl as Molly, who was sitting behind me leaned forward.

"Are you back for good then, dear?" she asked.

"I'm back as long as it takes me to do my presentation," I replied, trying not to sound upset that it was starting so soon.

"Oh, are you going on another assignment?"

"Actually I was thinking of taking some time off. The mountains in the area are so beautiful, and the beaches… I was thinking it might be nice to take a bit of a vacation."

"That sounds lovely," she smiled, and I knew the shoe was going to drop soon. "Ronald, don't you have some time off as well?"

And that 'thunk' you heard was the sound of shoe meeting floor.

"I have about a week left, Mum," Ron replied, and this time I was sure that Jacob was snarling softly.

"Perhaps you should go with Hermione. You look as though you could use a break as well," she said, effectively inviting him on my vacation.

"Actually, Mrs. Weasely," I cut what was probably Ron's enthusiastic 'yes' off, "I was going to do a bit of research, but since it's not for work I've got to use my vacation time."

"Really? What kind of research?" she asked, sounding disappointed.

"About the vampire family in the area," I replied truthfully because Ron and George were both studying my face, and each would be able to tell if I were lying. "They're vegetarian, they live and work around humans, and apparently they recently ignited a spat that started a newborn army in the area that they and the pack had to take care of. And I'm interested in the fact that they seem to function more like a family than a coven. More so I'm interested in the patriarchal figure of the family. Dr. Cullen is a doctor working on patients who are bleeding in front of him. It's fascinating. I just feel the need to ask more."

Molly Weasley has this look, according to George, that could draw the truth out of the most seasoned liar. The look that prevented him and Fred from wrongdoing on many an occasion when no one else in the vicinity had a clue what chaos was about to descend upon them. "Weasley-tiserum" he called it, and he said the only prayer one had against it was to tell a half-truth and hope that your face didn't betray the lie buried within. I was pretty sure I was being subjected to that look because I had the sudden urge to confess that I wanted to spend days at a time wrapped in Jacob's strong, warm arms. It was a struggle not to bite my lip and give myself away, but luckily for me George and Arthur's joint cries of dismay distracted her, and the urge passed.

"Foul!" George was shouting, leaning over the barrier into the stadium and shaking a fist in the general direction of the field. I could see Ginny not far away swinging back onto her broom and the terrifying look of an angered Weasley written across her face. I didn't have to be close enough to hear what she was saying to tell that there wasn't a single nice word in the string of words that I could see her mouth forming. Luckily the ref called a foul and Molly, who had no more an idea than I about what had actually happened, went into a protective rant over her little girl. The game turned rough, and Molly was distracted for the remainder, and even if she hadn't been my horrible explanations of what was going on to Jacob and Ron's dismayed corrections held my attention for the rest of the thankfully short game.

"Hermione, dear," Molly said as we exited the stadium. "We were thinking of popping over to Florean Fortescue's for a treat. Why don't you join us?"

"Oh, I'd love to, Mrs. Weasley," I stammered, thinking fast. "But Jacob and I left his friend, Sam, at Grimmauld place not feeling well, and I want to make sure he's okay. We took a Portkey from Washington State, and I think I pushed it a little too far for first-time users."

"I see," she murmured, and I could see the wheels turning in her head as to how to get Ron and I in the same room again quickly. "You'll be having dinner at our house the evening after your demonstration, then?" she said, and it was not so much a question as a demand.

"With Jacob and Sam," I nodded. If the woman can RSVP me for a dinner that didn't exist fifteen seconds ago, I can pad the guest list. Two etiquette wrongs don't make a right, I know, but I have found this is the best way to deal with Molly Weasley. Fight fire with fire. I love the woman like my second Mum, but if I'm not careful I'll wind up back with Ron with no recollection as to how it happened.

"Very well. I'll see you then," she said, wrapping me in a sincere hug. I know she is only pushing for a reconciliation because she wants me as an official part of the family, and because it would make Ron happy, and if she realized my true feelings for her son I'm sure she'd back off. I just don't have the heart to sit her down and explain everything that was wrong between Ron and I.

"I'm looking forward to it," I replied. I motioned for Jacob to follow me towards the Apparation point, but I found it was Ron who was at my side.

"Can we talk when you come to the Burrow?" he asked in a low voice.

"I know what you want to talk about, and I don't want to give you hope," I replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking surprised. "I thought when you left…"

"I know I said I'd think about it, and I did. I just don't think I could love you the way you deserve to be loved. The more I step back from our romantic relationship the more I realize that you are more a brother or a best-friend. I just don't think we had as much as we could as a couple."

He was quiet as he looked at me. "Do you think that maybe, with more time…"

"No, I don't. I think it would be unfair to both of us to try to force it. I'd rather take a step back and try to salvage what we had before we became a couple, because as much as we got on each others nerves I really loved those times."

I hated the look that crossed his face just then, but I had to pretend I didn't see it or my resolve might crack. A couple seconds later he nodded, a solemn nod, but one that seemed to admit that I wasn't going to waver. "It's going to take me some time to be ready to go back to that stage," he said quietly.

"I understand. I just hope we can get there eventually."

"I think eventually," he said with a weak smile, and he stepped forward for a tight hug.

"I want you to be happy, Ron. And I think in the end you'll be happier this way."

"Sure," his voice was strained, and I could tell he couldn't disagree more with that statement. But he was doing as the old saying goes, setting me free in the hopes that I'd come back. I could only hope that he didn't wait too long for me to come back. I would have to enlist Harry's help at trying to convince him to put himself back on the market.

"We'll take this at your pace then?" I asked as I pulled away.

"Thank you," he nodded, squeezing my hands one more time. "Nice to meet you, Jacob," he muttered before Disapparating away.

I stared at the spot for a moment. As far as breakups went, that seemed to go over quite well, though I had nothing to really judge it on. Silently I reached out for Jacob's hand, and when I felt the warmth of it engulf my own I turned on the spot to take us back to Grimmauld Place.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_(Jacob's POV)_

As we landed back in the empty library of the old house I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that had nothing to do with Apparation. I had just witnessed Hermione seemingly making her breakup with Ron official, but instead of feeling happy that it appeared Ron was no longer a block in our relationship I felt nervous that Hermione might be clinging to me as a rebound, and that what she would feel would change dramatically the further she got away from her relationship with Ron.

"Jacob?" she asked, touching my arm.

"How do you feel about me, Hermione?" I asked, looking down into her eyes.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that I really like you, and I want to be with you. But I've been hurt badly in the past. And I don't want to give my all to a relationship with someone whose heart is somewhere else."

"You know I need to take this slow," she muttered. "But I do want to take this somewhere," she added reassuringly.

"I'm not Ron…" I started.

"A desirable quality," she murmured.

"This is no time for jokes," I breathed.

"If you think I'm trying to push you away…"

"I don't. I'm just afraid that you will."

She stood on tip-toe to kiss my cheek. "If you don't stop worrying you risk it becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy." She then turned my head towards hers and captured my lips in a kiss. "And I would hate for that to happen," she added, so close her breath sent shivers down my spine.

I couldn't help but smile.

"If you go hunt Sam down I'll start cooking dinner," she chirped, and bounded down the stairs before I could say a word. I stood on the spot for a full minute, debating whether I should go get Sam for dinner, or if I should go downstairs under the guise of wanting to help her just to get her alone. How I wanted to completely distract her from anything to do with food at that moment. Thinking of getting her alone in the kitchen and what I wanted to do to her sent a rush of blood to my groin, which made it even harder to not go to Hermione. But I was afraid of pushing things too hard, afraid that she'd think I was only interested in one thing, so I headed up the stairs to the room Harry had set Sam and I up in.

"Honey, I'm home," I said as I entered the room without knocking.

"And how was it?" Sam asked, looking up from My Life by the Moon.

"The game? Outstanding."

"And spending time alone with Hermione?"

"Her ex-boyfriend showed up with his family and kind of threw a kink in that one."

"That sucks."

"Not as much as you'd think," I said, before telling him everything, ending with Hermione breaking it off for good with Ron and Ron seemingly accepting that fact. "One less thing I have to worry about," I finished.

"Now your list is down to, what, ninety-nine million or so?"

"You could shut up now."

"I would, but it's so easy to get you riled up. And fun, too."

"You know, I came up here to do something nice, like tell you to come downstairs for dinner, but if you're going to be an ass you can stay up here and starve. You are supposed to be under the weather from the trip, after all."

"If I have to miss another meal I think beta might be on the menu."

"You kill me and you're going to make an awful mess in here. And that little creepy thing is going to have to come in and clean it up. It'll probably take hours, so you can just have fun with that elf-thing."

"I think I'm just going to go to the kitchen," he grumbled, marking his place in the book and standing up.

But going to the kitchen to avoid the creepy little elf thing proved an exercise in futility as it was running around the kitchen, attempting to stop Hermione from cooking, and doing tasks behind her back when she wasn't looking. Hermione was telling him to take a break, but the thing looked like it might have a heart attack at the thought.

Dinner was delicious. Halfway through Harry and Ginny came home, and asked if we'd all like to go out to some place called the Three Broomsticks with the rest of Ginny's team for a celebratory drink. Hermione said she was out, she had to prepare for her presentation the next day and wanted to be on top of her game, and because she was out Sam and I were out, too. Which was fine by me, since neither of us had gotten much sleep the night before. We retired early, but I stayed awake in our room, staring at the ceiling and wondering what Hermione was going to have us do. It was hoping beyond hope to think she might get her hands on a blood-sucker for us to tear apart. We would probably just have to show off our strength and speed, and let Hermione do the rest. I doubt that a group of witches and wizards would just take Sam and my word for what we did, or even listen to us in general. I wondered where this demonstration would take place, and if it would require another Apparation. It wouldn't do our tribe any good if Sam and I both got sick immediately upon arrival. As I was debating whether or not to ask Hermione to take Sam and I on a few more practice trips to get used to the feeling nature decided to call. So I slipped out of bed and tried to move as quietly as I could towards the bathroom down the hall and up one flight.

I had relieved myself and was heading back to my room when I passed a door. As quiet as I was I could hear what was going on, and could immediately tell the soft, feminine moans coming from the other side were from Hermione. I froze, and several scenarios started flowing through my brain. She might have still been hurting from her accident. Or she might be having a nightmare about what happened to her during the war with Voldemort. I placed my hand on the doorknob, the other hand poised to knock when I heard something else. Her breathing changed, from measured and even, speeding up, becoming more uneven and ragged before there was the sound of another moan, and there was nothing painful sounding about it. That moan sounded like it came from a place of pure pleasure, and I realized that I had overheard Hermione as she was physically pleasuring herself. Another rush of blood settled below the belt, and I was thankful everyone else in the house was either asleep or at least in their rooms so they couldn't see me growing excited.

I listened as Hermione panted a few more times, then the sound of her breath cut off, but within moments she whispered, "Jacob," with another, slightly louder moan. She panted for a couple seconds, then regained control of her breathing.

For the second time that day I was rooted to the spot. For the life of me I could not even think of how to walk. Hermione had been thinking of _me_ as she touched herself, had said _my_ name as she brought herself to orgasm. This was the highest high I could ever even think of as the images of her doing just that, lying in her bed, her hands running over herself played in my brain.

There was no way that my erection was going to go away without the attention it was craving after that, so when I finally remembered that my legs could move I turned around and returned to the bathroom.


	15. Chapter 15

_(Hermione POV)_

The next morning I woke up with my nerves already on-edge despite my efforts at calming myself while alone in my room the night before. And this time I hadn't even used a Weasley Daydream product to help me achieve my end. I had one in the nightstand, a secret little stash Ginny knew about and highly encouraged but was unknown to either Harry or Ron, but I didn't need it. The thought of the kiss Jacob and I had shared before I retired for the night, his surprisingly soft lips leading mine in a dance that begged to escalate but wouldn't demand so, had started a fire that settled in my abdomen. A little daydreaming of my own, thinking of being back in that tent in the middle of the forest outside La Push, Jacob's warm body pressed up against mine, imagining myself finally surrendering to my physical desires had made it almost too easy to bring myself to climax. And while that did help me relax enough to fall asleep it did not make me any less nervous about the demonstration that lay ahead when I woke up the next morning. I was repeating my speech points in my head as I took a shower, brushing my teeth, and attempting to tame my hair. I wrapped a towel around myself as I was rushing through them one more time, and without thinking stepped out into the hallway.

"Morning," came a voice behind me, and I jumped so quickly I almost lost the towel. I spun around to find Jacob staring at me, losing what looked like the extraordinary battle to keep his eyes above my neck.

"Good morning," I replied, well aware that my face was bright red.

"Big day, huh?" he muttered.

"Are you ready for it?" I returned, acutely aware that he was moving towards me, though he didn't seem conscious of doing so.

"I'm sure that you're going to make it easy on us."

"You just have to show up and be a good boy," I smirked.

"I do all sorts of tricks," he shot back with a smile.

I opened my mouth, dangerously close to saying, "I'd like to see them," but was cut off preemptively by a startled shout of my name. I looked over to see Harry staring at me, his look between rage and confusion. It was only then I realized that I had moved closer to Jacob as well, and he and I were scarcely more than an inch away from each other.

"Is everything alright?" Harry asked.

"Yeah. Just, uh, bumped into each other," I murmured.

"Perhaps you should go get ready, yeah?"

"On my way," I said, scurrying down the hallway, leaving Jacob and Harry studying each other. I slammed the door shut and took several deep breaths to calm myself down. What the hell was wrong with me? Why did I suddenly turn into Lavender Brown around Jacob? I _cannot_ afford to let my brain keep escaping my head, especially on a day like today.

I dressed quickly, something nice but not too concerned about exactly how it looked because I'd have to be wearing my Ministry robes anyways. I debated makeup for a minute while I tamed my hair into a braid, then decided to just add a little to look like I was taking my job as the serious affair it was supposed to be.

I gathered my notes, shoved them into my attaché case, gathered my robes and started heading down for breakfast. A hurried looking Harry, who had only one arm in his Auror robes, was running up the stairs with a piece of toast wedged in between his teeth. When he saw me he stopped and took the toast out to talk to me in a hushed voice.

"Hermione, I'm worried," he whispered.

"About what?" I asked.

"Jacob Black."

My stomach dropped. "What about him?"

"I think he fancies you."

"O… kay…" I drawled, unsure of what to think and trying desperately not to smile or chuckle.

"Do you fancy him?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"Why would you think that?" I asked defensively.

"I just thought, you know, you and Ron…"

"Ron and I had a chat. It's over for good this time."

He suddenly looked disappointed. "Oh," he said blandly.

"What?" I asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

"I just thought, you know, that you and Ron were going to be alright."

"This wasn't easy," I whispered, and I realized he was worried that our breakup was going to mean an inability to be around each other, thus placing him in an awkward situation. So I continued, "And I'll admit we're both going to need some time apart to get used to things, but we've agreed to try to remain friends."

"I want you both to be happy," he muttered.

"And we will be. In time. Give Ron some time, he'll get over me, and before you know it he'll be all over the first pretty, charming witch he meets."

"Yeah," he muttered uncomfortably. Harry was always horrible about talking about emotional things. He wasn't quite as out-of-tune about it as Ron was, but he still hated to talk emotions.

I put my hand on Harry's arm. "We'll be okay," I assured him.

"Yeah," he nodded again, but he looked a bit more at ease.

Not long after he joined me in the front hall with Jacob and Sam. Harry had been assigned to provide 'security' at Hogwarts, where we had arranged to do the demonstration because of its wide open areas and good security. Kingsley didn't really think there had to be Auror security there, but Harry and Ron had wanted to see the demonstration, so Kingsley had arranged for 'security' for the American Ministry Officials.

"Are we ready?" Sam asked, more business sounding than he had since coming on this trip.

"Almost," I started, now all business. "I am just going to run through a few ground rules- don't speak unless spoken to. I'll give them as much information as I think they need, but they may want to ask some questions. If they do, keep it short and to the point- you are around to destroy vampires, and there has been a vampire threat to your tribe, so you've fought, but you haven't killed anyone with a pulse. Don't go into details, you may say something they may try to use against you. Be polite, do as I ask, and we'll try to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Is there a chance they won't listen to you?" he asked.

"There's always a chance," I replied.

"To be truthful, there's less of chance with Hermione as your champion," Harry assured them. "Trust me, her name carries a lot of weight in our world."

For some reason Jacob scowled at this. I held out the Portkey, and one awkward trip later we were all standing at Hogwarts. Now that they knew what to expect Sam and Jacob even managed to stay on their feet, even though they both stumbled slightly.

"Miss Granger!" Headmistress McGonagall called, motioning us to a large open area by Hagrid's hut. Hagrid hadn't been formally invited to the demonstration, but he had managed to find something to do out in the school's pumpkin patch, and he gave me what he probably thought was an inconspicuous thumbs-up as I led the way towards the group.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

(Jacob's POV)

I'd be lying if I said Hogwarts wasn't intimidating. The castle is ginormous, it's surrounded by ominous looking woods and a gigantic lake, and there's still some rubble and damaged parts high up on the turrets from what I can assume was the battle Hermione had survived. The first person, at least, I think he was a person, we saw was a man who looked like he had been magically enlarged and no one had figured out how to reverse it. He was bent over a pumpkin the size of a beach ball, and he smile and gave us a thumbs-up as we passed. Further down the path stood a group of wizards and witches, all dressed in dark robes, and none looking like someone I would want to mess with. The woman closest to us had motioned for us to join the group, and Hermione explained this was the Headmistress of Hogwarts, and I'm assuming her former teacher. I'll tell you, if any of my teachers looked like her I'd think twice about forgetting to do my homework. The black-robed jerk was there as well, looking like he couldn't figure out which side of the bed was the right one, that is, if he sleeps at all. He's got the complexion of a parasite, and his black eyes resembled the Cullens' when they waited too long to drink. I briefly wondered if anyone tried to run a stake through his heart, vampire or not. Ron was there, looking pointedly away from Hermione, casually talking to a pretty witch that I was guessing was from the American Ministry, based on her soft Southern accent.

"Professor McGonagall, thank you for letting me set this up here," Hermione said, shaking her hand.

"Anything, Miss Granger," she nodded back. "It is the summer, but close enough the staff is back, so we were hoping for a little excitement here. You have quite the audience."

Hermione looked up at the castle, and I realized there were several people sitting on the front steps, looking in our direction. I looked at Sam who shrugged. There wasn't anything we could do about the spectators.

"Is that Neville?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"Mr. Longbottom has taken up an apprenticeship with Professor Sprout. She hopes to retire in a few years time, and with some training he would make a nice replacement."

"He would," she smiled. "I never did manage to best a grade of his in Herbology."

"But you did earn top marks in Arithmancy, and Professor Vector is eyeing retirement herself…"

"Not a chance," she laughed. "Thank you for the offer, but I enjoy freedom and not having to do three a.m. patrols."

"You know where to find me if you change your mind."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

The first part of the presentation would have been interesting if Hermione wasn't describing my life. She carefully went through the recent history, from when the Cullens returned to the newborn battle. She explained a little about our tribe's history without repeating the stories verbatim, and she assured the group that she had talked to several of our pack and that she was confident that none of them had harmed a human.

"Were you instructed to interact with the wolves?" the pretty American witch asked.

"No. But an unfortunate accident occurred, and I had no choice, and therefore decided to take advantage of the fact that I had interactions with them to gain a perspective I could have never gotten through only observation. I wouldn't have been able to set up a demonstration without interacting. And through this demonstration I hope to show you that the wolves do possess the abilities to take down vampires, and they are quite controlled around humans. So if I could ask Jacob and Sam to step behind Hagrid's hut and change, please?"

Sam and I did as we were told, emerging from behind the hut in our forms, taking a non-aggressive stance at the edge of the wolves as we were appraised in shock and interest.

"For speed," Hermione said, giving me an encouraging smile. "To the lake and back, please?"

_Race you,_ Sam said.

_You're on,_ I shot back, and in unison we bounded towards the water. We were both aiming for a tree about ten feet from the shore, circling around it and charging back. I pulled away from Sam in the last quarter, and came to a sliding stop back in front of Hermione, giving her a toothy grin as I panted.

"Thank you. For strength if you could push the pumpkin," she said, motioning to a pumpkin with her wand, which grew to the size of my car. Sam and I placed our heads against it and pushed, taking it a hundred yards no sweat.

"Thank you. Now, I had Hagrid hide a mannequin with the scent of a vampire on it somewhere in the woods. He will attest that even I do not know where it is. I will ask Jacob and Sam to find it and bring it back, and while they are gone I will answer any questions you may have."

Sam and I took off into the woods, each taking one side of a path that forked just inside. I kept my nose to the ground, and within minutes I caught the sickly sweet smell of leech.

_Over here,_ I told Sam

_On my way, but you'll probably get it before I get there. I've got a tail and I'm going to try to shake it, _he replied.

_A tail?_

_Yeah. A centaur, if you believe that._

_I'll believe anything at this point, _I replied, and saw his thoughts long enough to see that there was a dark chestnut colored centaur following him at a safe distance. It was carrying a bow, but wasn't motioning for its' arrows. I'd guess that this Hagrid guy had warned them, and they were just making sure we didn't wander too close to their group.

Two minutes later I came across the mannequin sitting on the ground, the whole area stinking of leech from the charm placed on it. I grabbed it and retraced my steps back toward the castle, meeting up with Sam at the halfway mark. We could hear the centaur following us until we got into view of the castle, where it turned and bolted deep into the woods. I dropped the mannequin at Hermione's feet.

"We have one more test," Hermione said. "I'll ask Jacob and Sam to sit facing each other with about twenty feet between them…" we did as she asked. "Now Hagrid and I will stand between them, blocking their view of each other. I will show a picture to Jacob, and Hagrid will show five cards to Sam, who will pick the same picture. This will demonstrate the mental connection these wolves have. They cannot turn this connection off, and would know if one of their own had harmed a human."

She and Hagrid stood back to back. She produced a small stack of cards, took one at random, and showed it to me. It was a picture of pirate ship, and she showed it to the group before she told Hagrid to begin.

_ I don't need the thoughts of Hermione's breasts,_ Sam grumbled as Hagrid slowly flipped through a stack of his own.

_Payback for all the time you've thought of Emily's. And that one time of Leah's. Gross. Now pay attention. That was a pirate ship._

_ That was the wrong pirate ship, dumbass, they're trying to trick us, _he chuckled. _You would know if you weren't thinking about Hermione's tits._

_ That's the right one, _I snapped, and I heard his loud bark indicating that he was picking that card. Several whispers went through the group as we repeated the exercise twice more to prove the first wasn't a fluke. Afterwards Hermione let us change, and we came out to face the group.

"Any more questions before deliberations?" Hermione asked.

"Just one," the pretty witch said. "If it was a member of your pack that was hurting the humans, how would you deal with them?"

"Our rules are strict and clear," Sam said in his most authoritative voice short of the double-timbre order. "We _don't_ hurt humans."

This seemed to be answer enough for the witch, and when there were no more questions Hermione asked us to wait in Hagrid's hut. He had set up tea for us in cups the size of bowls and served with cakes that looked to be as hard as rocks. Sam and I strained to hear the deliberations, but we found that we couldn't.

"Hermione wouldn' want yeh to get upset o'er nothing," Hagrid said as he poured the tea, explaining why Hermione had cast a charm on the hut that wouldn't allow us to hear. "Sometimes things get said in them Ministry meetin's that don' affect the outcome, and she wouldn' want yeh to get the impression things were goin' the wrong way. She's a good girl, our Hermione."

"How long have you known her?" I asked.

"Since she was eleven. Poor little thing back then, desperate to prove she was as good as any pureblood. Should've known she was the smartest little witch Hogwarts had seen in many a year. She's gotten better 'bout that. Got celebrity thrust on her, she did, an' I don' much think she likes it. Doesn' show off very much anymore. Better girl for it, I think.

"Yer lucky it was Hermione who showed up to evaluate yeh. If anyone is fair and thorough, it's her. She's known for her compassion fer all types o' creatures. Won' soon forget all the work she did tryin' to get Buckbeak, my hippogriff, off. Spent hours in the library researching laws an' decisions goin' back hundreds o' years. Not that she wouldn' do that for anyone."

Sam and I exchanged a glance, but couldn't say anything before there was a knock on the door. Hagrid opened it, and the pretty American witch entered.

"Mr. Uley, Mr. Black, thank you for taking the time to come over here and give the demonstration. We have decided to drop our petition to re-classify your tribe, but we will be watching. If what Miss Granger has told us is true, we expect a sharp drop in deaths and disappearances in your area, and if that is true in one years' time we will drop our surveillance. Any questions?"

"Nope," Sam and I said in unison, trying not to smile widely at the news.

"I offered to take you back over there and perform the Oblivation charms…" she said, and my stomach suddenly hit my feet, "… but Miss Granger insisted that she wanted to take you out to dinner as a thank-you, and that she'll take care of all that. So we are done here. Good luck with everything, hopefully with that family of vampires leaving we won't have to see any more of each other… not that you'll even remember me if we do!" she chuckled, then excused herself and left.

"Well, that's good news," Hagrid smiled.

"I better go say thank you," I said, walking out of the hut. But when I got outside I saw Hermione standing, talking to the black-haired teacher, smiling and nodding about something. I remember what Harry had told her over the phone, and suddenly I was less nervous about Ron and more nervous that I was competing for Hermione's hand with one of the few people I couldn't beat.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Have I mentioned in a while how much my reviewers rock? Because you do.**

**I've had a few people mention about why Jacob just doesn't just come out and tell Hermione about the Imprint. I was thinking he'd probably want to wait until after the demonstration, and when they get some alone time. But that doesn't mean dear Hermione is blind and can't see there's something else going on... Done with the hints. Read if you want to know!**

_(Hermione's POV)_

The American witch had wanted to talk to Sam and Jacob, and when I talked her out of wiping their memories then and there she actually asked for an autograph before heading to Hagrid's hut. I could feel Snape's eyes rolling as I signed a spare bit of parchment for her.

"You have no intention of wiping the wolves memories, do you?" he asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Not yet," I replied just as quietly as I watched the door to Hagrid's hut close behind the witch.

"What exactly _is_ your plan?"

I shrugged as I turned to look at him. "I'm going to take some time off. My injuries were pretty grievous, and I could only benefit from some time to rest and recuperate."

"In a quiet locale, say a wooded reservation next to the ocean?" he sneered.

"Perhaps. You do want me to get better, don't you, Professor?"

He let off a soft snort. "You are aware of what you're getting yourself into with _him_, don't you?"

"I'm assuming you read Sam's mind and saw Emily's face," I frowned.

"He does think of her quite often. I daresay it would have been next to impossible to read his thoughts and not see her. He does have… a serious infatuation with her. But to answer your unasked question, I am aware of their accident."

"And you don't have faith that I can take care of myself around them?"

"Not too long ago I was sleeping… yes, I had managed to get some sleep, wipe that surprised look off your face, Miss Granger. I was finally close to achieving a full eight hours sleep when Poppy suddenly strode through my fireplace and told me you were near death in some tiny little town on the far side of the United States, and that she needed me to grab some potions to help treat your pain and severe burns. When I reached you I probably wouldn't have guessed it was you under all those burns if I didn't know in advance. It doesn't inspire much confidence."

"I'm sorry for waking you. You can count that as the life-debt if you wish."

"You know it doesn't work that way," he shot back.

"You didn't kill me, so I think it might count. You know that's something I'll never ask back. But you have to admit that, even though I was hurt in the process, the outcome would have been a lot worse for something who wasn't as quick-thinking as I."

"You have destroyed a vampire and a Horcrux, not to mention already dispatched a werewolf in your relatively short life. I don't doubt you have the reflexes to save yourself from physical harm. In my experience physical pain is the more preferable pain. It can be taken care of with spells or potions, as your recovery from your so-called grievous injury has proven. What I ask is if you're prepared emotionally to deal with them."

My eyes narrowed as I studied him. "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

He hesitated. "I mean that you have only recently gotten out of a relationship. Do you think it wise to start another so quickly?"

"I had no intention of starting it when I went there," I snapped. "It just sort of happened. I found myself…"

"I have no desire to hear how your relationship started," he interrupted with a sour look. "I want to know what you plan on doing should it not work out."

"What I'm supposed to do. Wipe the memories of everyone in the pack and never go into the area again."

"Do you think that would be the end of it?" he asked softly, and it didn't take much thought to realize there was something hidden deep in the words.

My suspicions burst. "You know something!" I accused through clenched teeth.

"I know a lot of things, Miss Granger. I daresay I would never have managed to become a teacher without knowing a thing or two."

"If you claim to know as much as you do, you would know that's not what I'm talking about!"

"Don't insult my intelligence, girl. I am aware of what you're talking about, but I don't feel the need to discuss it any further," he snarled, then turned and started to stalk towards the castle.

"Oh, no, you don't," I growled, and rushed to block his path. "There is something going on, isn't there?" I said before he had a chance to speak. "And before you have a chance to give me another smart reply that there's many things going on, I am aware of this, I want to know what it is everyone seems to know about Jacob and I that I don't know."

"If there is something perhaps you should ask him and stop tormenting me for information," he replied in his most dangerous tone, and he walked past me and strode quickly inside.

"Everything alright?" Jacob asked behind me.

"Yeah, fine," I replied in a grumble, turning to lead them towards the gates of the castle so we could leave. "Mrs. Weasley is making a big dinner for us tonight, and then I arranged for us to stay at my parents' house. Mum is going to make sure we're up early enough to get you home by lunch tomorrow."

"Oh," he said, face falling.

"And I need to pack if I'm going to be staying near the reservation at all," I added.

"Really?" his face immediately went from disappointed to elated.

"I need a break," I nodded.

"Sounds good," he smiled.

We walked in silence as I debated just how to ask him what it seemed like everyone knew but me. There had to be something going on, something that has to do with Jacob and I, that everyone in the pack is aware of, something they couldn't hide from Edward or Snape, but something they're hiding from me. I want to confront Jacob, to ask what is going on, but I don't want to do it in front of Sam. Then again, something similar must be going on between Sam and Emily. The way Snape talked about them it sounded as though it was more than Sam merely wanting to think of Emily constantly, that something was forcing him to. I went over the relationships I knew of in the pack. I had seen Jared looking at his girlfriend, Kim, and he seemed to have eyes only for her. Jacob's sister returned from college one day, and the next Paul was following her around like he was the happiest man in the world. Thinking about it, it seemed like there was a divide between the pack- those with girlfriends were around them as much as possible, and quite devoted to them. The rest weren't in relationships at all, and didn't seem to have the blind devotion to one person the others did. The exception would be Quil, who seemed to be happy acting as Emily's niece, Claire's big brother. Was there something that caused the wolves to be so devoted to their girlfriends? It must be something like animal loyalty. A pet dog, given a little bit of love, often becomes devoted to their owner. This has to be why the pack boys who are in relationships are so devoted to them.

That must be it. Perhaps what Snape saw was that Jacob is falling harder and quicker than the average person. To a former Death Eater this devotion to another person would be a weakness, something to scoff at and distrust. Even though Snape was on our side he often seemed to view human emotions as a weakness one cannot afford to have in certain situations. I think it's because the one time he opened himself up and showed emotions it hurt him so badly. I felt bad for him for a moment. He couldn't dwell on the good times with Lily because the relationship had ended with so much animosity and there was no chance for him to prove himself something different before she was killed. He's held that feeling for over twenty years. I knew it wasn't going to be me, but I decided that I was going to have to keep an eye open for a woman who might be able to keep up with Severus and have the patience to wait until he was ready to show a tiny bit of vulnerability again.

A thrill passed through my body as Jacob placed his arm around me, and I realized we had made it off Hogwarts grounds. Weird senses of devotion or no, I knew that I liked Jacob. And while I might not have been ready to have the depth of emotions he had about us as a couple I'm not going to fight his nature if his nature is to treat me well and care for me deeply so soon after becoming a couple.

I gave his hand a squeeze before I brought out the Portkey, changed the destination to the Burrow, and led us away from Hogwarts.

XXXXXXXXXXX

_(Jacob POV)_

As grand as the castle was, the Burrow was just the opposite, but I immediately got the sense that this is a warm, happy place where almost anyone who walked in would be welcomed with open arms. And Molly Weasley did not disappoint. She must have heard us coming up the path because she was out the door with her arms spread wide for a hug, flour covered apron and all.

"How did it go?" she asked as she hugged Hermione tightly.

"Perfectly. Sam and Jacob did so well," Hermione beamed at us. "The Americans decided to drop their petition."

"Wonderful! Are you boys hungry? I have a little bit of food ready. Just a couple little appetizers to hold everyone over until dinner."

"Yes, please," Sam nodded, looking longingly at the scent of food wafting from inside the house.

'A little bit of food' seemed to be about as accurate a statement as 'the Cullens have a little bit of money'. The kitchen table was sagging under the strain of breads, cheeses, fruits, mini sandwiches and mini pies. And she indicated that those were just the appetizers. Hermione warned us that there were a lot of members of the Weasley family, and that they thought nothing of bringing in friends without notice, but the amount of food already out would probably keep the pack satisfied. At least for a few hours.

"Andromeda and Teddy are out back with Charlie, Bill, Fleur, and Victoire. Feel free to join them," Molly said, pointing out the door.

"I'll give you a hand, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said, drawing her wand and rolling up her sleeves. "You boys go out. Charlie would love to meet you."

We walked out the back door into an open area. Four adults sat in a semi-circle, two young children, a toddler boy and a baby girl who had to be younger than one, were playing with a levitating ball nearby. Sam and I exchanged a glance as the wind shifted, and we caught scent of the group. There was something awfully familiar about the young boy. He did not smell like a normal human.

"Come, join us," a stocky redheaded man with burns on his arms motioned to us. We sat on the outside of the semi-circle, with Sam still staring, intrigued at the boy. We introduced ourselves to the group, which seemed to immediately accept us as new friends. Apparently the ability to morph into giant animals is not unheard of in the wizarding world, and for once Sam and I were in a new group of people and not feeling like total outsiders.

"May I ask about the boy?" Sam asked Andromeda.

"Teddy? He's my grandson. My daughter, Nymphadora, and her husband, Remus, were both killed at Hogwarts during the battle, so I take care of him, though Harry and Hermione have both been great about helping me," she replied.

"His scent is… familiar."

Bill and Andromeda exchanged looks. "Familiar how?" Bill asked.

"It's faint, but it definitely lupine," I replied.

"His father was a werewolf."

"A real one? Like one that is forced to change at the full moon?"

"Yes," Andromeda answered softly. "We've been curious as to how it is going to affect him, if at all."

"It's not strong," Sam said. "We recently had a group of new wolves in La Push, some of them quite young. We knew who was probably going to change before the process even started. They had that scent to them, but it was much stronger than Teddy's."

"Perhaps if he's ever going to be an Animagus his form will be a wolf," Charlie suggested.

"I'd be willing to put some galleons on that," Bill nodded.

"I've been so worried about him," Andromeda said. "I knew he wasn't a full one after the first full moon, but there isn't a whole lot of information out there about the offspring of werewolves. Remus is the only one I know of having a willing partner, and the only one anyone I've talked to who has produced a child. And he's always loved animals. He's been asking me for a dog, and I've been trying to hold off for a while, until he's old enough to help me with it. It's not like I'm a bloody house-elf."

"You can have Kreatcher," Harry appeared next to me, sitting down with Ginny.

"Stop," Ginny said, slapping his arm. "You're always trying to pawn him off on someone."

"I am not. I only offer when I see someone in need."

"You offered him to Hermione. If looks could kill even Voldemort would have been impressed at how quickly she had offed you."

Harry chuckled. "I don't think I've seen her so mad since McGonagall told her she wouldn't need to take her DADA test on account of how well she performed in the war."

"I had studied the equivalent of three weeks total time at that point," Hermione huffed, dropping down next to me, but far enough away I couldn't put my arm around her. "I did extra studying because that's the one subject I didn't get an O on. Of course I'd be mad. I could have used that time to study for a different NEWT!"

"NEWT?" I asked.

"Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test," Ginny told me.

"Final sound so much kinder," I winced.

"Hey, you lot!" another redhead called from across the yard as he pulled off a set of magenta robes. "Quidditch!"

Harry and Ginny were on their feet before the redhead had disappeared down a path. Bill and Charlie followed.

"Care to watch?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," I smiled, and we followed her on the short path through some woods. We came across a large clearing, where two sets of makeshift Quidditch goals had been set up. Ron was already there, flying around one set of goals as two girls tossed a red ball between each other. Brooms were produced, and teams seemed to split off without much negotiation.

"You playing, Granger?" the redhead asked.

"What do you think, George?" she replied, rolling her eyes.

"From what I hear you took a header off a cliff with a vampire attached and managed to survive. You're going to tell me that ranks lower on your danger list than getting on a broom for a friendly game of Quidditch?"

"First, I've never met a more competitive batch of people than you Weasleys, and don't act affronted, the last time I tried you damn near knocked me off my broom no less than sixteen times. Second, I didn't exactly choose to take the header off the cliff with the vampire attached. I got thrown into the situation."

"You killed an attacking vampire," he shot back. "Only you could make that sound like a typical Tuesday activity."

"All the same. No Quidditch."

"Suit yourself," he said, taking off.

We watched for the better part of an hour and a half. Hermione was wrapping her arms around herself more tightly as the sun started to dip. I walked into the woods, phased, and came back out, lying behind her. She leaned against me, seemingly unafraid to use me to keep her warm when I was like this, but hesitant to show anything like an intimate pose while around Ron and his family. I didn't blame her. She would tell everyone when she was ready. And I was content to have her with me like that for a while before someone in the game finally noticed me lying there in all my furry glory.

"Sweet Merlin, Granger, when did you get a giant dog?" George said, flying low.

"Don't be so bloody daft," she shot back. "It's Jacob."

"I told you she was bringing in shape-shifters from the States," Ginny huffed, and I became aware that the game had stopped so everyone could stare at me, save for Harry and Ron, who had seen it before.

"You didn't tell me how big they were going to be!" George replied.

"I also told you they kill vampires. What do you think they looked like, bloody Pomeranians?"

"As fun as this is, I'm getting a bit peckish. I'm going to see if Molly needs anything," Hermione announced softly, standing and stretching, then wandering back down the path. I followed a couple seconds later, getting dressed quickly and running to catch up. I caught her about halfway down the path- out of sight of both the Quidditch field and the house.

"Where are you going so fast?" I murmured, wrapping my arms around her.

"Jacob!" she hissed, but she pressed herself into my embrace. "Someone might see."

Through the trees we heard Bill and Ron get into an argument over a perceived foul. "They seem to have gotten back into the game well enough."

She slipped from my arms and turned to face me, a playful smirk on her face. "I never did hear a Thank You for doing such a great job with the hearing today."

"Let me show you," I smirked, walking towards her. I backed her up against a boulder, then lifted her up onto it so she was sitting level with me. I began to place kisses on her neck and jaw, each time thanking her and telling her something I liked about her. "You're a beautiful… intelligent… sharp-tongued witch… and I can't thank you enough… for saving my furry ass… and the furry asses of my pack."

"Mmm," she groaned as I gently sucked the skin where her neck met her shoulders, her legs tightening around my waist, her arms crossing behind my neck and pulling me to her. "If you say thank you like this, I might just have to find another way to save you."

"You have," I whispered before crashing my lips into hers. God, I love kissing her- her lips are soft, she has an intriguing scent like old books and what I can only assume are potions ingredients I've never heard of, and when we kiss her body melts into mine and we both forget everything for a while. I ran my tongue across her lips, begging for entrance, and she agreed without hesitation. Our kiss became more passionate and intense the longer we got into it, her legs becoming tighter on mine, my fingers wandering under the hem of her shirt as her fingers raked over the bare skin of my shoulders and back. We probably could have lost ourselves like that if we hadn't been so suddenly brought back to earth.

"What the ruddy hell is going on here?" a gruff voiced shouted, and we broke away from each other, startled, and turned to find Ron staring at us, his hand clutched white-knuckled around his broom, the rest of the Quidditch group standing dumbstruck behind him save for Sam, who was looking amused.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: A reviewer or two might see a hint of what they suggested written in here. I'm trying to update quickly, but right now there's a lot of stuff going on IRL, and I'm going to have to ask for a bit of patience as things might be a bit on and off for me for the next few weeks. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and enjoy.  
**

(Hermione's POV)

I groaned loudly, my cheeks burning, and leaned forward attempting to put my head between my knees, but I hit Jacob's chest instead. And that probably didn't make things better.

"Why don't you wait for me in the house?" I whispered to him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, staring daggers at Ron.

"Yeah. This is something I need to talk about with Ron and Harry alone."

"Shout if you need help. I'll be here in seconds," he said, then he nodded at Sam, who followed him down the path towards the house. They're probably not going farther than out of earshot.

"Clear off, you lot," I said to the group standing behind Harry and Ron.

"But…" George started, clearly eager for some fireworks.

"You heard her. Out!" Ginny said, sounding just like her mother, and luckily the Weasley men seem to have been trained to obey that voice because they left, leaving Ron, Harry and I alone on the path.

"I owe you an apology…" I started in a soft voice, looking at Ron.

"You're damn right, you do!" he growled, looking like he was about ready to explode.

"I didn't want you to find out this way…"

"How long has it been going on, Hermione?" he interrupted, and I felt a surge of anger flow through me. I took a deep breath before answering.

"Since a couple days after Poppy told me I was healed enough to resume my assignment."

He looked at me, and I felt my stomach turn with guilt at the look of hurt on his face. "Is this why you're taking a vacation over there?" he asked quietly.

"Not the sole reason, but a reason," I replied truthfully.

"So it's serious?" Harry asked.

"It's not just a fling, but I'm not setting a date," I retorted.

"What do you see in him?" Ron asked sharply.

I looked at him, searching for the right words. "Could you give us a moment, Harry?"

He looked at both of us, then slowly headed towards the house.

"Do you really want to know what I see in another man, Ronald?"

"I want to know what he has that I don't," he replied.

"It's not that…" I started.

"What is it, then, Hermione? When you left, I thought we had agreed to talk about it."

"I shouldn't have led you on," I replied, feeling ashamed. "I didn't want to fight right before I left. I said that to gain time to think of the right words."

"Those words being what you said after the game the other day?"

"To be honest I was too occupied when I was over there to think up the right words. Those were the ones that just sort of came to me."

"Occupied with him?" he shot.

"Occupied with my injury at first," I replied back, feeling my blood starting to boil. "What do you think, I was shagging him when I was laid up? Because I couldn't get out of bed for days. In case you don't remember I had a bit of a vampire attack."

His cheeks flushed red, though I didn't know if it was from anger, or if he was embarrassed that he had forgotten my injury. "Don't you think it's a bit soon?"

"It is quick," I admitted. "But it's not like I planned this out. It's not like I have a chance to sit for six months or a year or whatever you think is appropriate to mourn the end of our relationship and then go back. Whatever it is, it's started, and we're seeing where it goes."

"I don't like it," he said emphatically, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't dream to think that you would," I replied. "Hell, Ron, I wasn't even sure what you would classify us coming into tonight. I would have no right to ask you to approve me having a relationship with another man, but I would hope that you would respect my right to make my own decisions as to when I feel ready to move on."

He sighed. "I do. But it hurts to think you managed to do it so quickly."

"I didn't go over there looking for this. When I first started thinking that Jacob and I were going to go from friends to something more I tried to talk myself out of it. I had to get Ginny to convince me that I deserved to start something. If I had any idea that this might happen I would never had given you hope by agreeing to talk about us when I returned. I'm sure I only hurt you that much more when I finally told you the truth. I can't tell you how to feel about this, because I'm sure that if the tables were turned I'd be pretty hurt as well, but I'm not going to stop seeing Jacob. I don't know where it's going to lead, I don't know how I'm going to make it work once I run out of vacation time and have to come back here, but I'm going to try. I really hope that doesn't mean we can't work on our friendship later."

"Come here," he said with a sad half-smile, holding his arm out. I walked into his embrace, relieved he wasn't hexing me. "I know this is going to sound cliché, but I really do want to see you happy, Hermione. Even if it's not with me," he murmured into my hair.

"I want you to be happy, too. And you'll find some pretty Quidditch-loving witch who will give you everything that I can't."

"I hope so," he sighed. "Does… does _he_ treat you well?"

I knew he didn't want details. He just wanted to make sure Jacob wasn't only in it as long as it took to get me in bed or something. It was the type of question a best friend would ask of any relationship they aren't sure of. So I wasn't going to upset him with details. "Yes," I answered simply.

"And you obviously like him."

"Yes."

"Then I wish you luck."

I kissed his cheek and ruffled his hair. "Thanks, Ron," I said sincerely.

"Yeah," he said with another sad smile. "I'm going to go get food."

I walked next to him down the path. "You might want to hurry. I've seen those pack boys put away food in a way that puts you and your brothers to shame and then go back for more."

"It must take a lot of energy to be a piece of eye-candy," he grumbled with a nod towards a table set up in the back yard, where Sam and Jacob seemed to have attracted the attention of nearly every female of the crowd that had at least quadrupled in size since we had last been near the house. Even Professor Sprout was close by and being more friendly than I remembered her, and she was pretty friendly to begin with.

"It looks like you've got a bit of competition," Ron said, and I could tell he was holding back a smirk.

"How am I supposed to beat a Hogwarts Professor?" I asked in fake distress. "Though to be honest they all seemed so non-sexual to me."

"I wish."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, looking at him in curiosity.

"One time when I was coming to visit you when you were back at Hogwarts for your final year I Apparated into the Three Broomsticks to pick up some wine for a picnic and I saw… well, I'll just call it an unholy sight."

"Who?"

"You really don't want to know."

"You do know that phrase just piques curiosity?"

"And you would know better than anyone what curiosity did to the cat," he replied.

"I'm astounded by your remembering a Muggle phrase, but you're going off subject. Tell me."

"Fine, but only because you insisting has brought back images I had buried in my brain and hoped to never see again. McGonagall."

I gasped. "_Professor_ McGonagall?"

He shot me that look that clearly said I was smarter than my last question made me out to be.

"Who?"

"Last chance to save your innocence."

"Ron!" I nearly shouted, dancing on my tip-toes in anticipation of the gossip.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Ollivander."

I don't know what look or looks crossed my face at that moment, probably surprise, disgust, and horror but whatever they were caused Ron to burst out in laughter. He smirked at my obvious discomfort, then decided to torment me some more.

"I didn't know McGonagall knew that type of kissing…"

"Stop!" I shouted, lunging at him and covering his mouth with my hand. "I'm never going to be able to go in there again!"

"And you didn't even witness it," he said after ducking out from my grip. "I could give you a memory for your pensive…"

"Don't you dare!"

He stuck his tongue out in a suggestive manner, and I turned heel and ran. I know the whole conversation was that of a couple of thirteen year olds, but it had caused me to lose my appetite. And it thrilled me that for a minute things seemed back to normal.

"Budge over," I ordered Ginny, and she immediately made room for me to sit next to Jacob. I held my composure for about three seconds before the thought washed over me again, and I made an involuntary face and buried it in Jacob's t-shirt.

"Everything alright?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Yeah," I lied, and started mentally calculating how much Dreamless Sleep I was going to need that night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Jacob's POV)

We spent the night at Hermione's parent's house, but even though the cat was out of the bag with her friends about us she asked that we didn't reveal anything to her parents. She needed more time to figure out what to tell her mother, who was the second most difficult person to tell on her list. Things seemed to have gone well with Ron, but Ron hadn't raised her and lost her once before. So I took the opportunity to try to be as charming as I possibly could, doing my best to convince her mother I was an 'upstanding young gentleman', not even complaining when Sam alpha-ed me out of a bed and I wound up on the couch, which wasn't so bad after Hermione sneaked downstairs to fix into something comfortable to sleep on and give me a good-night kiss, which turned into a make-out session before Sam came down and stared at us until she went to bed.

We waited until after breakfast the next day, when it would be dark in La Push. Hermione had kissed her parents good-bye when they went to work without a promise of a return date. This time she pitched her tent in the woods behind our house, far enough in that no one could see it from the road but close enough the walk wouldn't be difficult. She wouldn't say it, but I could tell that she was still having some problems walking long distances, so when we were done putting the tent up and the sun was rising I playfully picked her up piggy-back style and carried her back to Billy's. The old man was up and cooking breakfast when we entered in the back door.

"You're home," he smiled at me, holding an arm out for a hug.

"No, dad, we're apparitions," I said with a smile, but I hugged him tightly.

"How was your trip?"

"Awesome," I answered truthfully, and Hermione took over the cooking so I could talk to him in the other room. "I got to see a lot of her world. It was… something else. Took a few pictures. We saw the castle where she went to school. It was huge, but you could tell which parts had been rebuilt. It really hit home that Hermione had been in a battle."

"A warrior," he nodded.

"That place seemed to have an abundance. They've gone back to their normal lives, but you can tell. They're all fighters. Dad, I saw a little boy who was an orphan from the war. His father was a werewolf, a moon-changer. They were worried he might have some ill-effects."

"I was worried about that, too," he admitted in a low voice. "So much I seriously debated having children with your mother. But she begged, so I gave in. I figured what were the chances that something like that was going to happen, that a vampire was going to come to the area? It skipped our generation, I thought it was out of our system. And then when I heard the Cullens were coming into town I was scared. I thought that it might trigger anything, and that there was no chance you wouldn't be one. But time passed, and it didn't seem to happen. I prayed it didn't happen, and that they would move away and none of you boys were going to go through it. And then Sam started growing. And I was still praying that something would stop it before it happened. And then it did. I really wish he hadn't had to go through those weeks by himself. But I knew that if he had gone through it, it was only a matter of time before it was going to happen to you. I had to watch as the changes started happening, had to bite my tongue when I wanted nothing more than to warn you. If I had, maybe you wouldn't have such a problem when it happened. And I never apologized for keeping you in the dark. I should have warned you, and I'm sorry I didn't."

"It's okay, dad," I muttered. "Not everyone gets a warning. Hermione's mom told some stories yesterday. Hermione was using magic before she even knew it existed. Hermione said it was mostly when she was being bullied, but she was more scared by the things that happened that she couldn't figure out. And I couldn't help but think of what would happen if she had known what she was getting into."

"Hermione is strong. If she knew far enough into the future, she would probably put up with the bad to get to the good," he nodded.

A few minutes later, when Hermione came into the room with three plates of food, she groaned about our conversation, which had turned to a description of the Quidditch games I had seen.

"Even in the Muggle world the boys all talk about Quidditch!" she lamented with a smile on her face.

"Come, on, Hermione. It is a game played on flying broomsticks. How could we not be excited about it?" I asked with a smile.

"I know, but it was kind of nice going a couple weeks without hearing about Quaffles and seekers and such."

After breakfast Billy bid us good-bye so he could go run a few errands with Quil's dad. It was a sunny day, so Hermione and I headed to the beach. It was the end of summer, and the beach was populated with kids who were enjoying the surf one more time before heading back to school or off to college. I saw a group of Bella's old friends hanging out around a driftwood log. Hermione said she wanted to do a little hiking to see the tide pools, and after raiding her closet at her home she finally had what she considered to be a 'proper wardrobe' for spending time in the area, which I took to mean having a wide variety of things to choose from, from shorts to thick sweaters. Today she chose a pair of shorts, a flannel shirt she tied around her waist in case she got cold, a t-shirt and hiking boots. Her hand intertwined with mine as we walked across the stones, passing close to the log where I could clearly hear Mike Newton say, "Looks like he got over Bella quickly."

"Do you see her?" Jessica Stanley said, annoyance in her voice. "She's covered in scars."

"So what?" Eric Yorkie shot back, staring at Hermione as I helped her over a rock.

"Why are all the good-looking ones around here going out with such plain girls?" she grumbled, and I was happy we were well out of Hermione's earshot, and beyond the point where I could send a nasty comment back. Hermione probably wouldn't like me telling Jessica who I thought was really pretty and who was 'plain'.

Spending time with Hermione at the tide pools was like spending time with a marine biologist. She not only told me the common name for species, but the scientific name, features, and occasionally use in potions. And while at this time a month ago this would have been one boring lecture I found myself hanging on her words.

"How in the world did you ever find the time to learn all this?" I asked in awe as we sat on a boulder overlooking the waves.

"Before I first came over I checked out book about the local wildlife, both land and sea, and I had a lot of time while recovering and decided to read it."

"You know, if I wasn't seeing you I probably would call you a geek right now," I laughed.

"My love of books was always a running joke. Harry would ask me the exact shelf location of a book because he didn't want to waste the time looking for it. If I jumped up quickly someone would always ask what I needed to do in the library. It bothered me for a while, but not so much anymore. I love books, and I love learning, and I feel it's a day wasted if I haven't heard something I've never heard before. Life is too short not to explore it, but I can't go and do everything, and so I explore it through books."

"I like that," I whispered, and it wasn't my imprint talking. "I'm not so moved that I'm going to run out to the library for it, but it is an interesting way to look at things."

"The world would be really dull if everyone were like me. You have your things. You like cars, and from what I hear are very skilled with them. And I never really thought about them before, because I've been in them so infrequently since I've turned 11. And when something when wrong with my dad's car all I did was cast a repairing charm and it was fixed. I didn't have to know what was wrong, why it was wrong, or how to fix it with my hands. I depended on my wand, and my wand did the job."

"Where is the fun in that?" I asked.

"There isn't any. But the ability to fix things isn't highly valued in wizarding society, because it's not necessary. But it should be. It takes sill and passion to learn something like that, and when we don't value those things we become lazy and disinterested in the why of things."

"Okay. Next time I get a flat I'll make sure you change it," I smirked.

"And what are you going to do, hold up the car?"

"Holding it up would be a lot easier than jacking it up if we're pressed for time."

"Why would we be pressed for time?" she asked with a smile.

"We're caught in the rain."

"Despite what L. Frank Baum says, I will not melt in the rain."

"You're not green, either. So I'm sure that you are a good witch."

"Wouldn't it be so much easier if the bad guys were all green?"

"I'm not sure. What do they say about girls liking bad boys? Would you want to make out with someone who was green?"

"Maybe I should change your skin color and find out," she said, getting closer to me.

"Do it and you'll wish that vampire had taken care of you," I warned.

"Even you in your furry state can't catch me when I want to move."

"Apparently you don't," I said, before grabbing her and pulling her to me. God, Kissing her seemed to get better and better each time we did it, and when we were alone there was such abandon to her kissing. She pressed herself to me, hands twisting in my hair as she pulled me as close as we could get, swinging a leg in between mine so she was half on my lap. I was unable to control myself as my growing erection pressed against her and fantasies of having her overtook me. I slid my hands up her sides, under her shirt, massaging her bra-clad breasts and delighting in the moan of satisfaction I got from her. Her hips started rolling gently against mine, fingernails raking across my bare back, and her arousal soon overtook the smell of saltwater. It wasn't until I tried to unhook her bra that either of us took a step back.

"Not here," she panted, breaking away from me. "Not yet," she added.

"I'm sorry," I replied, completely turned on by the look of desire still burning in her eyes.

"Don't be. I'm just not ready to go too far yet."

"I understand," I smiled. "Should we start heading back? Emily is making a big welcome back dinner, and it might all be gone if we don't get moving soon."

"I have no desire to fight your pack for food," she said, standing up and pulling her t-shirt all the way down.

We walked back towards the town, and when we got on the road she said cautiously, "I'm going to see the Cullens tomorrow."

"No," I groaned, feeling my body deflate.

"Yes. I called Carlisle yesterday, and he was gracious enough to offer to have me over to talk tomorrow. I think it's a great opportunity for me."

"What can they tell you that I can't?" I asked.

"Personal histories? Reasons for making their life choices…"

"Life choices? Is that what they're calling it nowadays?"

"I knew you were going to be upset, but I wasn't asking your permission," she snapped.

"You wouldn't have it if you were," I shot back.

"I think you would have noticed by now that I can handle myself around vampires."

"You handled yourself around one vampire! There's probably going to be several in that house, and I don't trust a damn one of them." We had arrived outside Emily's house, and were trying to keep our voices down.

"They aren't human feeders! Do you think I would be so daft as to walk into a coven of those?"

"Even they will admit there have been slip-ups, and that empath one has probably killed the population of a small city in his freakishly long lifetime."

"The fact remains that they haven't killed people in a long time."

"And I would really prefer if you weren't the one they have an 'accident' with!"

"Your concerns are noted, but I'm going either way," she hissed, turning away from Emily's house

"Hermione, please," I said, grabbing her wrist and spinning her to me. "Please don't go. It's not safe with them."

"Some would argue it's not safe with you, either," she shot back, wrenching her arm from me and disappearing down the street.


	18. Chapter 18

(Hermione's POV)

When I got to my tent I put up the wards, needing a while to cool off. I was so sick of all the prejudices that I had to deal with, against house elves, mudbloods, werewolves, vampires, it irritated me that just because someone was part of the broader group they were given a negative label. I understand why the wolves dislike vampires, but they seemed to have very weird standards when it came to them. They hated the Cullens, but they allowed them on the reservation when I was injured? They said it was because Dr. Cullen was the best doctor in the area, but if they really were that distrustful of them why would they do something like let at least three of them on the reservation, and why wouldn't they transfer my care to another doctor when it became clear I was going to live? Other doctors could have been Oblivated so they wouldn't remember their trips. And as much as Jacob rationalized that he and Bella were friends, he didn't have to show support for her marrying a vampire by showing up. How could he show that much hate towards them, to the point where he all but demanded I not go, but still voluntarily put himself in proximity with them?

I wasn't going to give in. Jacob could beg, bargain, and give every excuse in the book, but I wasn't going to give in. I wanted to see the Cullens. I wanted to hear their stories and try to figure out why they were living the way that they were.

I Apparated into town to get something to eat that night, then spent the night with the wards up. I could hear something moving around in the woods around the tent, but Jacob couldn't get too close. I was too upset to talk with him, and I was pretty sure he was sleeping right against the wards. Any closer and he'd skip right over where I was staying and find himself on the other side.

The next morning I got Sirius' bike out. Carlisle knew I was coming, but I didn't want to scare anyone else who might be there by appearing out of the blue. I knew Jacob, or at least one of the wolves, were just on the other side of the wards, so I Apparated to the nearest road, kicked the bike to life, and gunned it on the damp roads out of town. Not to my surprise I found myself with a giant Russet coloured wolf following me out of town. But I didn't slow or stop until I got to Forks, and by then the roads had gotten busy with people moving about town, dropping kids off at school or heading to work. I garnered a few looks, an outsider riding a large motorbike through town, but I shook Jacob. There was no way he could tail me through the town without being seen.

To the north of town I pulled out on a little-used road. I passed a few houses in the first quarter mile, then nothing but increasingly larger trees, and underbrush that grew closer towards the middle of the road, a sign that not many cars passed down this way, let alone had occasion to pass each other. I stayed in the middle, off the shallow tire ruts, which I used as my guide to find the Cullen's hidden driveway. When the ruts suddenly turned onto a long, tree-lined gravel road, I turned with them. Had I been driving anything lesser than Sirius' bike, I might not have dared the loose, wet gravel, but I kept going, barely slowing, winding lazily through the woods until it opened up to a large yard and an even bigger house. Two of the Cullens were standing by a souped-up Jeep, staring at me as I pulled up. The smaller of these broke into a large grin as I put the kickstand down on the bike.

"Hermione," he beamed, opening his arms wide.

"Hullo, Jasper," I returned the grin. Jasper had sought me out during the wedding, and he and I had a quick chat while comparing battle scars. He seemed more impressed than anyone about my ability to take out the vampire. I felt an instant connection to him, and had we more time I think we could become close friends. He confirmed he felt the same by kissing my cheek and mussing my hair.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Great," he nodded. "You remember Emmett?"

"Yes," I said, holding a hand out to shake, not wanting to admit I barely remembered anything about Emmett but his size. He and Jacob seemed to have worked out wordlessly that they wouldn't go within ten feet of each other, and by extension me. He introduced himself quickly after Carlisle and I had a dance, but disappeared when Jacob showed back up.

"Hey, I want a hug, too," he said and he pulled me into a hug so tight I thought my bones might break. "You're a lot more fun without your keeper… or I guess, you're more the keeper. What did you do, put it back in its' cage for the day?"

"Would it be too much to ask that I don't have to hear the insults while I'm here?" I sighed.

"Yes," he said with another big smile, putting me down. "Race you to the front door?"

I shot a look at Jasper.

"Yes, he's always like that," Jasper said, with a bemused expression.

"Fine. Jasper, count it off?"

He smirked, and I was sure he knew what I was about to do. "Three… two… one… go!"

I was already twisting when he said it, and had my hand around the door just as Emmett's fingers closed around my hand.

"Forgot," he smiled. "Of course you'd make with the magic tricks."

"Like I had a prayer of beating you without them."

"And that's why it's fun," he said, opening the door. "Hey, everyone!" he called. "Guess what the Jazz dragged in!"

"Sorry about him, but this is timid," Jasper apologized. "You better warn him off saying anything about your romance right now, or he's going to get on a roll."

"Considered yourself warned, Emmett," I said quickly.

"Come on, I spent all day thinking up doggie style jokes," he whined as Carlisle, Esme, and two women appeared.

"Welcome, Hermione," Esme glided forward to kiss each of my cheeks, and I returned the greeting. "It's great to see you again."

"Good to see you, too, Mrs. Cullen."

"Please, call me Esme."

"Of course," she said, stepping behind me so Carlisle could greet me, followed by the over-enthusiastic greeting of Alice, which left me looking at Emmett's wife, who steered clear of me at the wedding, so I couldn't meet her.

"Rose," I heard Esme prompting as the blonde vampire stared at me with a look of distrust and distaste.

"Rosalie," she said curtly, not unfolding her arms or changing her expression.

"Come in, Hermione," Esme said, taking my arm gently and guiding me into their large living room onto a couch. The house was much different than I remembered, even discounting all the wedding decorations. There was nothing on the walls, and while the furniture, television stand, and bookshelves were up, the books, movies, and general bric-a-brac that would normally be on such things everything was missing, leaving a lot of bare shelves. Against the walls boxes were stacked four or five tall.

"Are you moving?" I asked.

"We're going to have to," Carlisle said, setting a tea tray on the coffee table. I started making myself a cup as he continued. "Have the pack told you about our treaty?"

"Yes, they have," I nodded. "They are quite adamant about reminding me that there are no exceptions."

"No, there are not, and they haven't let us forget that," Jasper shook his head.

"Unfortunately, it puts us in somewhat of a tight situation," Carlisle continued. "Bella and Edward have made their choice, and I will not force them to change their minds. However we cannot risk staying around here after the transformation starts. The pack will no doubt come right over as soon as they hear. We must be out before then."

"Do you have an idea of when 'then' might be?" I asked, looking at Alice, who I knew would know better than anyone.

"Five days," she said grimly. "We'll be out the day after tomorrow. It gives us enough time to get everything to a safe spot somewhere far from here, then we're going to…"

"Don't tell her!" Rosalie interrupted.

"Rosalie!" Esme scolded.

"Don't start that, Esme," she shot back. "She spends way too much time around _them_, and I think we've already told her too much."

"I'm not going to tell the pack," I promised.

"And just why am I supposed to believe your word? Your kind hasn't exactly been friendly in the past, either."

"You would think that a vampire who maintains a non-human diet would know better than to classify all members of one group together," I muttered, feeling annoyed that I suddenly found myself trapped in between a pack and a coven.

"What makes us think we can trust your word?"

"Because I have more honour than to lie to you," I replied through gritted teeth.

"And how are we supposed to know that?" she snarled.

My hand flicked to my wand in my pocket, but Carlisle stopped me with a gentle hand around my wrist.

"Rosalie," he said calmly. "I trust Hermione implicitly. She has never show us any hostility or any reason to doubt her word. I understand your hesitations towards her, and if you don't wish to be here I will not ask you to stay."

"I just want you to remember that I thought this was a bad idea from the start," she said warningly before getting up to leave.

"Sorry," Emmett mumbled, not moving after his wife. "She isn't a very trusting person."

"She hasn't had much reason to be," Alice said with a sad smile. "But picking up where I left off, we're going to head down to Brazil. Edward and Bella are down there, and we thought she might like some support through her newborn phase."

"And hopefully it's far enough the mutts won't follow us," Emmett added.

"I wouldn't count on that," I said, rolling my eyes. "They are quite insistent that they are going to follow you and enforce the treaty."

"One has to admire their spirit," Esme said with a smile.

"I really don't want it to come to that, for your sake or for theirs," I muttered. "I don't feel like I'm on either side, and yet I feel like I'm on both at the same time. I think the best way for me to protect everyone is to keep my mouth shut. I give you my word that I will not speak a word of this to anyone, even Jacob."

"That is very kind of you, Hermione," Carlisle said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It is a burden, I understand. How is Jacob?"

"Probably worried sick and pacing at the treaty line," I mused, swirling my tea. "He was not particularly enthralled with my coming here, and it caused a bit of an argument."

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry," Esme said. "We didn't know having you here would cause you such trouble…"

"Don't worry about it," I cut her off. "What Jacob and I have is… intense, but we are two very different people. We are bound to disagree on occasion, but I won't stand for someone who tries to dictate where I should go and who I should see. I've got a feeling he's going to be all over himself apologizing as soon as I'm willing to listen to him. Maybe I should let him stew a little bit."

"Hermione," Alice said in a warning tone, but there was a knowing smile playing across her face.

"At least long enough to take my helmet off and fix my hair," I replied with as innocent a smile as I could muster. "I guess it's torture enough for him to wait while I'm here visiting you."

"If there's one thing girls are good at, it's torture," Emmett nodded.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked with a raised eyebrow to rival a Slytherin.

"That look!" he cried, pointing at me. "You've all mastered that look! I hate that look! It means I'm not getting anything for at least a week."

"Liar," Jasper sneered. "I've seen her give you that look, and within hours you're back in bed. Or against a tree. Or befouling my favorite car…"

"That thing was a hunk of junk…"

"It was when you two got done with it! It was impeccably cared for before you two smashed and tore it to bits!" he turned to me. "It was a 1967 Shelby GT500 Fastback. It's hard to find those cars in great condition where their owners are willing to sell. It's why I got the Ducati. Hard to befoul a motorcycle."

"Challenge accepted," Emmett smirked, rubbing his hands together.

"I will tear each of your appendages from you, starting with your favorite, if you do," he growled.

"It's like I'm back with Ron and Harry and they're talking about the Firebolt," I said, shaking my head. When I realized I was getting looks I explained, "Best broom in the world, according to them. Harry couldn't replace his fast enough after the war. Frankly I don't care for brooms."

"How could you not?" Emmett asked in amazement. "They're flying brooms! All the stuff we can do, we still can't fly. You can just hop on after you're finished sweeping up and go."

I laughed. "I don't think I'd survive if I used one of their broomsticks to sweep."

We spent the rest of the day chatting about the Cullens, and while I wasn't taking notes, I soon got lost in all their stories. I didn't realize how late it was getting until Esme put a plate of food in front of me and told me that I had skipped lunch, and she wasn't letting an accident victim drive home skipping two meals, so she made me dinner. Jasper apologized for drawing the vampire to the area, apparently she had been sent by Maria, his maker, who was paranoid and wanting to keep a tab on him. She had heard rumors there was an army of newborn vampires in the area, knew Jasper was around them, and assumed he was making them to take them down and destroy them, so she sent a spy. Jasper said it was not the first spy she had sent, nor would it be the last. Maria knew she was no match against him, and always feared him coming back to destroy her despite the fact he held no ill will against her. I assured him that as I had survived and there was no real harm done, there was no need for him to apologize for her being in the area. I stayed until almost midnight, declined a ride from Carlisle back to the treaty line, and hopped on the bike, using the ride through the dark town to plan what I was going to say to Jacob.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Jacob's POV)

I stayed by the road into La Push all day and prayed that she didn't bring the bike back by air or Apparation. The later it became the more nervous I became, and when midnight passed with no sign of her I was about ready to call in the pack.

At five after midnight I heard the rumble of an engine, and seconds later the powerful motorcycle came into view. She turned to look at me as she rocketed past, and I followed her until she cut the engine, cruising to a halt in front of my dad's house. I phased and walked up to her as she pulled her helmet off and tried in vain to get her hair to sit flat on her hand.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," I started.

"Be careful what you apologize for, Jacob, because I'm not going to believe you if you said you were wrong about not wanting me to go over there," she said, leaning against the bike and looking at me with a look that dared me to argue the point.

"Are you kidding me?" I blurted. "I hate that you visited the Cullens. I've been having visions of you getting torn apart or worse. I don't even want to know what it did to my blood pressure, not to mention my ass hurts from sitting on a rock at the line all day waiting for you to come back. Today completely fucking sucked. I wish you were like normal people and knew that it's really dumb to be around a vampire, voluntary or not."

"Normal people?" she asked with a raised eybrow.

"I meant a person with a sense of self-preservation. You go headfirst into housefuls of vampires, go running after psycho dark wizards…"

"Date a werewolf?" she finished.

"I wouldn't hurt you."

"Not voluntarily," she said softly.

I scowled.

"Trust me- anything bad you say about them, Emmett said something equally as bad about you. If I listened to everyone in this situation I might as well shut up in a cottage somewhere and become a recluse. Do you think Crookshanks would mind if I got a dozen more cats?"

"Crookshanks would probably drive them off with his attitude," I shot back. I had met the little critter at Hermione's parents' house, and the thing took an immediate dislike to me. It hissed whenever Sam or I would enter the room, and would jump into Hermione's arms if she and I were any closer than arm's length.

"Crooks is fine with other cats. I think it's because you smell like dog."

"Your cat is crazy."

"He's intelligent. It's not the same thing."

"I don't know. Didn't we just discuss all the reasons why you might be a little touched in the head?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, and I believe one of those was seeing you," she shot back with her hands on her hips, but she couldn't stop the smile crossing her face.

"Well, at least today wasn't a total wash. I got to see you on that bike again, and that's always a hell of a sight."

"Jealous? This thing would eat your bike for breakfast."

"My bike has the distinct disadvantage of having to stay on the ground, but if we did, I bet I could take you. Wanna race?"

"Not at one in the morning, you're not," Rachel's voice came sternly from the porch. Paul kissed her goodbye, hopped down the porch, gave us a quick nod and disappeared into the woods. There was the ripping sound of his phasing, then I could hear him moving deeper into the woods. He must be going on patrol. "Kiss her goodnight and then come to bed, Jake. You've got patrols at seven."

"Yippe," I grumbled, then stared at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I am not kissing her goodnight with you standing there, big sis."

"Good. I don't want to see it. If you're not in here in five minutes I'm going to come looking for you," she smiled, then went back into the house.

"You need me to walk you back to your tent?" I asked Hermione.

"Nah. I'll just Apparate. But do you mind if I keep the bike in your garage?"

"Allow me," I said, taking the handlebars and walking it towards the garage, Hermione jogging alongside to keep up. After I put her bike safely next to mine and threw a blanket over it to keep the dust off I turned to her.

"I am sorry," I said. "For trying to tell you what you can and cannot do. I have no right. I just hated the idea, and I'm not thrilled you went, but I'm happy you're back safe. How was it?"

A nervous look passed across her face. "It was lovely," she said quickly. "They have such fascinating stories."

"I'm sure they do," I muttered, trying to figure out why she looked nervous.

"Probably best I be off," she said with a yawn.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon after my patrol?"

"Sounds good."

"Emily invited you over to her house for lunch. She's kicking the gentlemen out, it's for ladies only."

"Oh, no. You and your pack might starve!" she said with a mock look of horror on her face.

"Funny," I smirked, pulling her close to me so I could give her a prolonged kiss.

"One minute!" Rachel's voice called from the house.

"That's my cue. Goodnight, Hermione."

"Good night, Jacob," she kissed my cheek one more time before turning on the spot and disappearing. I waited for exactly one minute and one second, then went back to the house.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I want to tell everyone asking me about writing other stories that I haven't been working on them because I need to write something happy. I've had a LOT going on IRL, and right now I'm kind of in the mood that if I'm not writing something happy I might kill off a character or something even if I didn't intend to.**

**So, in this chapter something happens that people have been begging for for about 16 chapters or so. I'll let you figure out what it is. But, here's the warning, it does lead to lemons. Which I have never written in first-person before. Not that I don't have experience, you don't get two kids without a little, but it is a bit awkward to write as the character. Hopefully I did okay. Be kind!**

**Enjoy!**

(Hermione's POV)

"So then they flew off, and that swamp was around until Umbridge was gone," I recalled fondly, sitting in the chair next to Emily's, placing a bowl of pasta in the middle of the table, pushing the spoon towards Kim, who looked hungriest. Rachel passed around some garlic bread, Emily served salads, and I summoned some home-made strawberry lemonade from the kitchen, completing our 'girls lunch'.

"It must have been so much cooler to go to a magical school," Rachel sighed as she watched me catch the flying lemonade with ease and stick my wand back in my pocket. "It sounds like there was always something you were having to duck."

"Yes, it must have been awful, going to a school where someone wasn't trying to off you or your best mate all the time," I teased. "Where the only real break I got happened because I was petrified."

"What were you scared of?" Kim asked, looking curious.

"No, petrified as in unable to move, speak, do anything. Essentially a statue of myself, though thankfully one that was able to come back to life."

"How did that happen?"

"I saw the reflection of a basilisk. It petrified me, and I was like that for weeks." I kept forgetting how little everyone around me knew about my world. I was just so used to having everyone, including my Muggle parents, know what I was talking about.

"Basilisk?"

"Really big snake. Kills with a glance, but only petrifies if you see it's reflection or see it through something."

"How big?" Rachel asked, sounding nervous.

"You seriously don't want to know. Don't worry, though. They're really rare, it takes a hell of a lot to breed them, and most people aren't so stupid as to do it. The chances of you ever seeing one are negligible."

"And if you do see one it'll be over quickly, before you have a chance to be afraid of it," Kim added.

"What other scary creatures are out there that we don't know about?" Emily asked.

"Do you _want_ to stay awake all night?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just curious."

"Trust me, you'll be much happier not knowing what creatures are out there and how close they may be, though if you want reassurances, this is one of the areas with the lowest number of dangerous magical creatures."

"But there are dangerous creatures out there?"

"Yeah. Our boyfriends," I smiled. "And I'll give you three, maybe four Cullens."

The girls laughed. "How are things going between you and Jacob?" Emily asked.

"We had a bit of a bump in the road, but I think we worked through it well," I shrugged.

"I heard you two arguing," Rachel admitted.

"He doesn't like the Cullens, I do. And neither of us is willing to budge. It probably won't cause tension very often, but it will probably be spectacular when it does."

"Both of you seem really stubborn when it comes to that."

"I consider myself very flexible in most aspects, Merlin knows I had to with Harry and Ron as friends, but when it comes to stuff like that I refuse to let someone dictate who I am friends with. Jacob is none too fond of Professor Snape, and I consider him a friend of sorts, the one I can talk intellectually to and not get a look back of boredom back. Sometimes a girl needs conversation that's beyond sports."

"That's true," Kim smiled. "If I have to hear one more account of how Jared pulled a spectacular move in whatever video game he was happening to play that day I'm just going to start sticking my fingers in my ears and humming."

"Just remember whose house they're at while they're playing those games," Emily smiled. "I think they forget just how loud they can be at two in the morning when they get off their patrol."

"You can always come spend the night in my tent," I offered. "They stay pretty quiet around my little setup. I think they think if they make a loud noise I might hex first and ask questions later."

"You did with that vampire."

"I think her intentions were pretty obvious. Normally I try to at least assess the situation before I start shooting random hexes."

"Are you in dangerous situations often?" Kim asked.

"Not as much as I used to, but I do work with dangerous creatures sometimes, so I've spent a fair portion of my life in dangerous situations."

"Is that what you want to do for the rest of your life?"

I shrugged. "There's things I like about it, and there are things I'd rather not deal with when I have a family and people who depend on me having use of most of my limbs. It's good for now, but it's not forever."

"And you're planning on staying in England?"

"I'm not sure of much right now," I replied.

"Well, I was just wondering what was going to happen with you and Jacob when you're out of vacation time."

"I'm not sure. It's something I'm going to have to think hard about very soon."

Rachel was looking extremely concerned. "But you're going to work something out, right? I mean, you have to, with the imprint and all."

"Imprint?" I asked, confused. Emily and Kim exchanged a look that showed their nervousness, then each shot a pointed look at Rachel. But I wasn't going to let it slide. I felt so close to discovering what it was everyone was holding back from me.

"Yeah," she said slowly, almost apologetically. "The imprints. Like Sam with Emily, or Jared with Kim, or Paul with me. And, of course, Jacob with you."

"What is an imprint?" I asked hesitantly, nervous about the answer.

The other three exchanged looks, and seemed to wordlessly decide that Emily was the best one to break the news to me. She scooted her chair closer to mine, and placed a supportive hand on my arm. "Imprinting is something that members of the pack sometimes do. They don't decide it, and they can't control it, it's just something that sort of happens the moment they first see the person they are imprinting on. It's hard to explain what it is, but it basically ties them only to their imprintee for the rest of their lives. They found their soul mate in that person, and they'll remain loyal to that person and only that person. There is nothing they can do to break the bond, and there's nothing you can do to drive Jacob away. He's meant to be with you, and he's loved you completely, totally, and unconditionally ever since he first laid eyes on you."

For a moment there was only the sound of heavy breathing, and then I realized it was me. My mouth was open in surprise, and my mind was racing trying to process what I had just heard. This was why Jacob had insisted on spending time in the room after I got hurt, why he jumped off the cliff after me, and why he took such good care of me when I was injured and unable to move. This was why he always volunteered to show me things, why he always seemed to be as close to me as possible.

A few unintelligible sounds came out of my mouth. I swallowed hard, then managed, "Does it work the other way, too?"

"Not the way it does with the boys. We have a choice. No one who has ever been imprinted on has rejected it, and they have all lived long, happy lives with each other."

"But it has to work the other way, at least a little bit," I murmured. "I can feel it pulling on my magic. I get upset when we argue, more than I really should, I mean, I argue with a lot of people I've known and loved longer than Jacob and I still don't get that upset. I feel drawn to him. When we're alone I can feel myself drawn to him. I feel him in a way that I've never felt someone, like I instinctively know where he is, and could find him without even trying. I think… I think I've known about the imprint because of my magic, I just didn't know exactly what it was before now." I thought about it for a minute or so before asking, "Why didn't he just tell me?"

"Because he was afraid of losing you. It isn't exactly the most romantic way of falling in love, is it?"

"It's kind of romantic," Kim said.

"Still, you're an outsider, Hermione. You didn't know our tribe, you didn't know our ways, and you didn't know our stories. You came over here knowing that there were a pack of possibly dangerous shape-shifting wolves. And you are special. Your professor told him you were a well-known, powerful witch who could have any wizard she wanted. Jake was afraid that if he told you the truth that you would laugh in his face and run back to England as soon as you could. He thought the best way to approach this was to keep the imprint from you and try to court you like any man would."

"Was he ever going to tell me?" I asked.

"I think he was still deciding, but I think he was leaning towards yes. When the time was right."

"When he knows I'm in love with him."

"I think so."

"I need to talk to him," I said, standing up. "Thank you for lunch, Emily," I muttered, and rushed out the door. I hurried down the road until I was out of sight of Emily's house, then slowed, and finally stopped, sinking against a tree. I let my head fall to my knees, biting my bottom lip, trying to sort out my feelings.

So I wasn't just drawn to Jacob because he was a nice, physically attractive man. And he wasn't just drawn to me because he thought the same of me. The universe, in some way, wanted us to be together. A lot had to be working with us for us to ever meet, and yet the moment we were within sight of each other our lives had changed irrevocably. For a brief moment I wondered if there was some prophecy somewhere that involved us getting together, because it seemed so out of the norm.

First I had to sort out my feelings about Jacob keeping the imprint from me. I know why he did it. Had the tables been turned, I might have kept it to myself as well. But it hurt that he didn't feel like he could trust me with it just yet, that he thought I would still run from him if told. He was planning on telling me when I was in love with him, but wasn't it obvious to him that I was quickly approaching that stage? Wasn't it enough proof that I was here after I had no work-related reason to be here? The longer he waited the less time I had to make some very difficult decisions.

And now I was going to have to think harder about those decisions. I had a few weeks of vacation time saved up, but what was I going to do after that? Having a relationship at such a distance was going to be very difficult, but if what Emily told me about the imprint was true Jacob wouldn't settle for a long-distance romance where we saw each other on weekends or the occasional special occasion during the week. And I wasn't ready for him to give up his life and his pack to come live in England, though I knew he would suggest it. The sheer distance was going to be a major obstacle we would have to overcome, and I wasn't sure I was willing to move so far from the wizarding world and everyone I knew in it.

The last thing I thought about, because I knew it was going to be the hardest, was exactly where I was in my relationship with Jacob. I was guarded with my feelings before, because I had just gotten out of a relationship with Ron. I knew there was some pull Jacob had over me, I was probably able to identify it better because I was so used to feeling different types of magic around me, but I denied that it could be so intense so soon. I didn't think that anyone could feel such deep emotions for someone else so quickly unless they were in some kind of animated movie. But it was happening to me, or more to Jacob. I liked him. I liked him a lot. Could I see myself falling in love with him, maybe there was a hint of it already there. But I didn't fall like he did. I still needed some time. I needed…

Sighing I stood back up, and walked towards Jacob's house. Billy, like he often was since Bella got married, was at Charlie's house trying to make sure the police chief managed to keep himself fed and got some non-work related conversation. Rachel was still at Emily's, which meant Paul had no reason to hang around. So Jacob was alone, which was good, because I didn't need anyone with supernatural ears overhearing what I had to say. But just to be safe I put up a silencing charm on the house in case anyone snuck up from outside.

I knocked lightly on Jacob's bedroom door, then opened it. He was just stirring, he must have been asleep from his super-early patrols. I almost backed out of the room, but his eyes opened, and he smiled as he saw me, and sat up quickly.

"Morning, beautiful," he smiled, reaching for my hand to draw me to him.

"Afternoon, more like," I said, moving so I was in front of him, but nearly level to his face with our height differences.

"Patrols mess with my timing. How was lunch?"

"Didn't get around to eating much of anything," I admitted.

He studied my face, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Rachel mentioned something about an imprint," I told him quietly.

"And?" he said, looking nervous.

"And Emily told me what that meant. And the truth about you and I."

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I just wanted to wait until…"

"Shut it," I smiled, clamping a hand over his mouth, and I could feel him smiling underneath my hand. "I want to feel something," I added. I closed my eyes and moved closer to him, resting my forehead against his. I felt a warmth and comfort spreading from the spot, radiating downwards, making my very magical essence tingle. His hands settled on my hips, drawing me even closer to him until I was settled between his legs, my hands tracing lazily up his arms until they were crossed behind his neck. Soon after the comfort and tingle in my magic had engulfed me I felt the nearly irresistible urge to kiss him, so I did. His warm lips dancing against mine sent a new kind of warmth racing down my spine to settle below my waist, and this had nothing to do with my magic. Jacob scooted backwards on the bed, his hands moving to cup my backside, pulling me up so I landed astride his lap. His hands then moved upwards, bringing the fabric of my shirt with them, and I had no objections when they traveled higher than my breasts, breaking our kiss so he could pull the fabric over my head. He stared down at my body, and for a moment I felt self-conscious as every scar suddenly looked ten times worse than it usually did. I almost reached for my shirt when Jacob ran his hands over me several times, fingers tracing the scars, but not focusing on them.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered with an awe in his voice.

"Do you mean that?"

"I have never seen anything I want to remember more than you, right now."

I threw myself back at him, snogging him more thoroughly than I ever had, moaning into his mouth as his hands found my breasts and he started to massage them through my bra. Feeling his warm skin against mine was setting every nerve alight, and I could feel the muscular planes of his chest pressing against me with every breath he managed to take. His hands slid around my back, his fingers trembling with anticipation as he unfastened my bra and pulled it slowly down my arms, not daring to break our embrace until he had rid me of the garment. Slowly he kissed along my jaw line, then down my neck, occasionally pausing to suck or gently nip a bit of skin. When he did this to the spot where my neck met my shoulders my hips gave an involuntary buck against his, and I suddenly became aware of his erection pressing into my inner thigh. One of his hands supported my back as he leaned me backwards, lips trailing lower on my chest, kissing around one breast before tentatively flicking it with his tongue.

"Yes," I said in an involuntary hiss, which only encouraged him to do more of the same, first to one breast, then the other, until rational speech became impossible and my hips were moving so wildly against him, desperate for any kind of friction.

I didn't know he had spun us until I felt his cool sheets hit my back, a stark contrast to the heat pressed so unyieldingly against my chest. He trailed his way back up towards my lips, then propped himself on one arm, his other hand sliding down my side until his fingers were resting on the button of my jeans.

"Hermione…?" he whispered, and it was the way he was begging in his husky voice just by saying my name that destroyed any inhibitions I might have had.

"Please!" I whimpered, lifting my hips so he could pull the jeans from my body. He sat up, hands running over my thighs, looking my body over in the way one might appraise a goddess, and I realized I had never been looked at that way before, and it caused the fire in my abdomen to whip into an uncontrollable inferno.

"Please, Jacob," I begged in a whisper. He slipped out of his shorts, and stared me in the eyes as he positioned himself between my legs and pushed slowly into me, a loud moan escaping my lips as he filled me.

"Oh, God," he groaned, his hands fisting on either side of my head, and I heard the sheets tearing as he did so. His lips were suddenly back on mine as he began moving inside me, lips pressing hard into mine as I twisted a hand into his hair to hold him to me. I started lifting my hips to meet his, which caused him to hit a delicious spot inside me that had me seeing stars. My hand raked across his back, trying to find purchase, but not as his body began to slide more quickly against mine.

The quicker he moved, the more involuntary my movements became, and when my lips wouldn't move properly against his he trailed them from mine back to my neck, nipping a couple times with such force I was sure there would be marks.

The muscles in my body began to tighten, staring in my toes and fingers and working inwards until my breath became ragged and I pressed my body into his as I tightened around him, desperate for release. His body quivered above me as he fought off his own orgasm, waiting for me. And my body did not disappoint as I released seconds later, quivering as he thrust a few more times before his body lost the fight and he spilled into me.

Our chests pressed into each other's as we each waited for our bodies to let us regain control. I could feel the tingle of my magic, which had been so heightened in the heat of the moment, start to die down, and my skin began to cool. He pulled me to him so he could kiss me, a long, drawn out embrace that said everything words couldn't in that moment. Finally he laid next to me, pulling me around so I was facing him, staring deep into his eyes. His hand ran over my face, coming to rest on my neck so his thumb could slide lazily over my cheek.

"That was…" he started, but he trailed off.

"It was," I agreed with a smile and a chuckle.

"I love you, Hermione. I should have told you about the imprint sooner."

"Don't worry about it," I murmured. Any sooner and I might not have been ready for what happened between us, though I didn't want to tell him that.

He pulled me to him, eyes closing as he inhaled the scent of my hair, then sighing and relaxing against me. "I will never forget this, and how beautiful you are."

I could only smile back.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: I am going to try to do my best about updating things, but the short of it is that my family seems to be having a few of those months where nothing seems to go right, and right now I'm taxi driver, bill payer, cook, maid, etc for two households. And it looks like it's going to be several more weeks, if not a couple months, before I'm going to get anything that seems like a break. So I'm trying, but it's going to be sporadic at best for a while. Sorry**.

**I didn't manage to get this beta'ed, as my beta has more pressing matters at the moment, but I did my best. I'll send it along and re-post if I've committed horrendous offenses. Enjoy!**

(Jacob's POV)

I woke up late in the morning the first night Hermione and I spent together with my body still wrapped around Hermione's nude sleeping form. After she and I slept together the first time, we had spent the rest of the day in bed learning each others bodies, getting up only long enough for bathroom breaks or to make dinner together. Hermione cast a silencing charm on the room when we heard Billy getting home at around 9, and luckily he didn't come looking for me. She fell asleep in my arms late that night, head nuzzled against my chest, looking happy. I watched her for a while, processing that she knew about the imprint and didn't go running at the first opportunity. I felt like the luckiest man in the universe.

It took a bit of maneuvering to get out of bed without waking Hermione up, but nature called and I thought it might be nice to start breakfast, so I had to get up. She stirred as I left the bed, pulling my pillow to her and nuzzling up to it before starting to breathe evenly again. I slipped into a pair of pajama pants and slid out of my room as quietly as I could. Washing up after relieving myself I looked into the mirror and smiled. The scratch marks Hermione had left on my back were faded, nearly gone, but still there, as was the bite-mark she left when she bit into the skin on my shoulder. I chuckled as the memories came flooding over me, and fought the erection that was threatening to start growing.

I walked out of the bathroom and into the living room, where I was stopped cold. Dad was up, watching bemusedly as Charlie was bent in an unnatural position trying to set up a desk Dad must have bought yesterday, a box containing Bella's old computer sitting on the couch.

"Morning, son," Billy grunted, trying to hide a smile as there was a thud and a swear that emerged from behind the pile of wood.

"Morning, Dad. Hey, Chief," I called at Charlie.

Charlie emerged from the pile looking frustrated. "Hey, Jake. Just the man I was hoping to see. How about being a help and holding this up?"

"You want me to do it for you?" I asked, lifting the piece he was indicating one-handed and holding it in place.

"Naw, just keep it steady for a minute," he said, and he fitted a couple of screws in and tightened them.

"By the way, Emily brought by muffins. She thought you might be hungry this morning, but she didn't say why," he said, pointing with his foot towards a bag with some huge muffins in it, as well as a couple crumb-filled plates that indicated he and Billy didn't mind raiding the bag before I get up.

"Emily's got an intuition about things sometimes. That and I'm always hungry," I muttered, hearing some rustling in my room. Seconds later my door opened and I heard Hermione going into the bathroom.

"Is there someone else here, Jake?" the Chief asked, pausing with his hammer poised.

"Er," I bit my lip and looked away. Trying not to look guilty probably only made me look more guilty, and to be fair Charlie's job involves knowing when people are lying to him.

"Rachel's already out this morning, doing some shopping," Billy announced, taking away any chance I had at blaming the noise on my sister. But I wouldn't have been able to lie anyways, as Hermione emerged from the bathroom, wearing the clothes she had been wearing the day before, disheveled hair barely tamed by being pulled back into a ponytail, and looking sexier than I've ever remembered her. I had visions of throwing her on the couch which were quickly squashed as I remembered Billy and Charlie were in the room.

"Oh!" she said, looking surprised to see more than me in the room and turning bright red. "Good morning, Billy. Nice to see you again, Chief Swan. I… um… I was just going to, you know, go back to my tent for a bit. Change clothes and make a call. I'll be back a bit later, Jake."

"Whenever you're ready, honey," I said, pulling her to me so I could kiss her forehead, and appreciatively watching her backside as she scurried from the room.

I turned back to a dumbstruck looking Charlie looking at me, then turning to give an incredulous look at Billy.

"Don't look at me, Chief," Billy chuckled. "Yours is already married."

"Mine is eighteen, and was a virgin when she got married," he replied.

"Why do you think she got married?" I mumbled.

"Jake…"

"Sorry, Chief," I grumbled, but it was true. Bella wanted her honeymoon, and Edward wasn't going to give it to her without a ring. But she also wanted something else as her wedding gift, and from what she said the ring was also a stipulation for that. But I couldn't tell Charlie about that part. They were so close to breaking the treaty, and then all bets would be off. There was little chance Charlie was going to make it out of this without knowing at least part of what was going on.

"What was her name again?" he asked casually, obviously trying to be civil and control the cop coming out of him.

"Hermione Granger," I replied.

"And how old is she?"

"Old enough to know better," Billy said with a smile.

"Isn't she some college girl from England?"

"Right now she's doing some independent research," I said, a pit forming in my stomach as I remembered that her time off of work was quickly running out and realizing that neither of us had talked about what that might mean. I vaguely wondered if England was ready for me.

"Do you think she's going to stick around?"

"Dunno," I answered honestly. "I'd like to think so."

"You started something with her without knowing if she's going to be around for long?" he said, standing straight and looking at me like the second father he's pretty much been since I was little.

I felt like a little kid getting reprimanded for getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar. I wanted to tell him I had no choice in the matter, but that would require an explanation I'm not supposed to give.

"Don't you remember what happened to Bells when…" he trailed off, not wanting to speak ill of his new son-in-law.

"Yeah, I do," I muttered. "Trust me, I've thought about that."

"Edward left with no warning. She isn't from around here. Don't let yourself get so crazy over her or you're going to wind up like… that."

"Don't have much of a choice," I said under my breath, then I quickly made sure that everything was okay and walked out the door, heading quickly over to Emily's house to find Sam. Luckily they were finished with their morning activities, and were sitting on the porch.

"What's up, Jake?" Sam asked as I walked up the steps.

"I was wondering what you thought about having a branch of our pack in England?" I asked, dropping unceremoniously onto a spare chair.

"Is Hermione leaving?" Emily asked, looking surprised.

"Not yet, but it's got to be on the agenda coming up, hasn't it?"

"Have you talked to her about it?" Sam asked.

"No, but I need to get some things straight before I have that talk."

"Because you living somewhere else has bigger implications than just one of our pack leaving," he noted.

"Don't bring up the alpha thing," I groaned.

"I have to. Any boy you have is going to be the rightful alpha. You handed the reins over to me, but we both know you could take it back if you wanted. You're going to sire the heir, and if all goes well she's going to be a part of that, and it's going to be really awkward if the alpha is thousands of miles away."

"Okay, way too early for me to be thinking about kids."

"Most people would think it's way too early to be thinking about moving to a different country."

"Touché."

"I can't tell you what to do. I can release you from your current duty here, but if you have a son you're going to have a lot of thinking to do."

"I wonder if there's a potion you could take that would make you only have girls," I sighed.

"Leah would want me to remind you what they say about making assumptions," he chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"I can't make you talk to her sooner rather than later…"

"Yes you could. All you have to do is go creepy-voiced on me, and your wish is my command."

"Just do it, Jake. We're going to have a lot more to worry about than where you're going to be living in a few months."

I bit my tongue to avoid a response. Because I knew what he was talking about, and I didn't want to wreck my great mood by thinking about having to destroy Bella.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Hermione's POV)

I walked back to my tent instead of Apparate because I was still sort of in a daze and my magic was just starting to feel like it was totally back in my control again. That, and I had a wonderful ache between my legs that I thought a bit of exercise not done in the confines of Jacob's bedroom might be good for my muscles.

Jacob was nothing short of incredible. Not once all night did I think that he was thinking of himself. And the way he looked at me… I've never felt so close to physically perfect in my life. Like I didn't have a scar on my body. Like I had never met a vampire or Bellatrix Lestrange or Voldemort, his giant snake, or any of his henchmen. I don't think Ron realized he was doing it, let alone that I would have noticed such a thing, but he never kissed the scar I received when we were in the fight at the Ministry, he didn't even kiss within an inch or two most of the time, despite the proximity to my breasts. He avoided the thin line on my neck where Bellatrix had pressed her knife into my skin. And I doubt he would even know on which arm I had a scar from when out that window in Godric's Hallow. Jacob, on the other hand, not only noticed those scars, plus the faint burn scars I still had, but he kissed each one of them, asked about each one, and when he was satisfied he knew the stories he whispered "my warrior" before making love to me again. I don't know why it seemed so important that Jacob saw my scars as part of me and nothing to be ashamed of, but I suddenly knew it was.

I got back to the tent and took my time showering, changing, and taming my hair. When I decided that I couldn't hold myself back from a bit of girl talk anymore I Flooed Ginny, who quickly stepped aside for me to come through. To my horror, however, she didn't mention that Harry was there, and he came in carrying the latest edition of the Prophet as I stepped through the Floo.

"Hermione!" he smiled in surprise.

"You're still reading that drivel?" I asked, looking at the paper.

"They can spin a good yarn," he replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I need some… advice."

"Problem with Jacob?" he asked, looking concerned.

"No, things are going well with Jacob," Ginny said, matter-of-factly.

"Now how in the world did you know that?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a girl thing."

"They need to start teaching a class about that," he grumbled, sitting down and opening the paper, clearly uncomfortable in the conversation but not wanting to be out of the loop.

"So, what's up?" Ginny asked, summoning some tea.

Sighing, I decided to immediately tell her everything about the imprint. By the time I was done explaining it Harry had stopped pretending to read the paper and was staring at me, looking confused.

"Let me get this straight," he said, coming over to sit next to me. "Jacob is your soul mate, and some sort of ancient-magic is telling you this?"

"That's the short of it, yes," I replied.

"And this magic started the moment he first saw you?"

"Yes."

"And you think you feel this magic pulling you towards him?"

"Yes."

"And you consider this romantic, and not creepy in any way?"

"Well, yes, I do."

"Women are mental," he rolled his eyes.

"How is this mental?" Ginny asked. "I think it's so sweet."

"Some bloke Hermione never met fell in love with her the second he saw her, despite the fact in that second she was being attacked by a bloody vampire, he hides this from her but she, despite knowing that he is not the type of bloke she'd be falling for in there wasn't something supernatural going on, she starts falling for him, and when he finally confesses that he is in love with her and will never be able to stop loving her even if she does something like hex his bits off she doesn't go running for the hills, rather the two of you find this romantic. Does anything in this scenario seem off?"

"No," Ginny smiled.

"Mental," he repeated.

"Anyways, I think I can get the boy thing figured out well enough on my own," I interrupted when Ginny opened her mouth to argue the point with Harry. "That's not what I'm having the biggest problem with."

"What is?" she asked.

"I went and talked to the Cullens the other day…"

"That probably caused a bit of an argument."

"Funny thing about that imprint, he might hate that I went, he can't stand the fact that I'm friendly with them, but he accepts it and doesn't try fighting it."

"Just because you can push things with him doesn't mean you should."

"I know, but the Cullens are kind of my problem. One of them, Alice, told me when they intend on changing Bella. The pack seems pretty adamant that when that happens they're going to hunt them down and fight them to the death. I don't want them to fight, but I'm not sure how I can stop it."

Harry put his hand supportively on my arm. "This wasn't your fight to begin with, Hermione. I doubt anyone else is going to try to stop it. I know you want everyone to get along, but you can't force Slytherins and Gryffindors to mix…"

"Why did we fight the war, then?" I snapped. "If everything was going to go back to the same old thing, why in the hell did we fight? What was the point of everything if we're going to go back to the same old prejudices, Gryffindors marrying Gryffindors and Slytherins marrying Slytherins and teaching their children that anything less than their own house would be a disappointment…"

"Hermione," he cut in. "We fought to get rid of Voldemort and his psychotic followers. I know things have gone a bit back to the old ways, but old habits die hard, and if you are always trying to save the world you're going to go crazy and kill yourself with good intentions. Handle one fight at a time, and right now it seems like the more pressing issue is an impending war between vampires and werewolves. Did they say when this transformation is going to happen?"

"Three days," I said quietly. "The Cullens have already packed and are leaving today, if they're not gone already."

"And how long do you think it'll take before the pack knows?" Ginny asked.

"Charlie, Bella's father, is really close to Billy, Jacob's father. Charlie will probably go to Billy the moment he hears that Bella is dead. I don't know how long into the transformation they're going to wait to tell him she's gone. A few days, maybe a week at most. That's all I think they can get away with."

"Let me guess," Harry started. "You haven't told the pack of the date."

"I didn't feel the need to volunteer any information," I shrugged.

"What do you think they're going to do when they find out you've known when it's happening?"

"They won't be happy, but they won't harm me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Their number one rule is to never harm someone's imprint. They don't question that, and Jacob would probably kill anyone who even thought about it," I finished in a mutter, realizing how true that was.

He sighed. "I don't like thinking that you might wind up with a pack of giant angry wolves coming after you…"

"But you're going to ignore that part because Hermione can take care of herself," Ginny cut in. "Right now the question is if and when Hermione should tell the pack about the Cullens. What do you think, Hermione?"

"I told the Cullens I wouldn't say anything, and I'm not going back on my word," I said confidently.

"Even though you know about the imprint now?"

"I don't go back on my word."

"Then the only thing you can do is try to talk Jacob out of going to fight."

"He can't. He's bound by his pack. Whatever the Alpha says, he has to obey."

"Or what?"

"I don't think there is a choice in the matter."

"Could you try to convince the Alpha to not fight?"

"Sam seems like he's a purist when it comes to the treaty. I don't think he's going to give into my begging and pleading."

"Then grab Jacob and Apparate him away or something. Stop him from going if you want. Otherwise, Hermione this really seems like it's not your fight. The best you can do is send a Patronus to warn the Cullens they're coming, and hope for the best."

"I just feel so helpless."

"We all are sometimes. But if you stand up against them, you could lose Jacob."

"I can't, though. That's the thing about the imprint."

"Do you really want to think he's only with you because of that? That, deep down, he can't stand you because you fought for his enemy?"

"Of course not."

"Then, as hard as it must be to think it, you've got to sit out this one, Hermione. You're going to have to just let things happen like they would if you had never gone there."

I left with a knot in my stomach, feeling even more conflicted then when I had left. I went back to my tent, then walked back to Jacob's house, where he was waiting on the porch, smiling wide as I approached.

"You caused quite the scandal by coming out of my room this morning," he murmured into my hair as he hugged me.

"I would have Apparated if I knew Charlie was here," I admitted.

"I don't mind. I found it kind of funny."

"Glad you're not easily embarrassed."

"I have a beautiful woman who I love who spent the night with me. Why would I find that embarrassing?"

"I'm not sure," I smiled, and he leaned down for a kiss. And for once I wasn't lost by it.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Just to clarify something, I am not going to involve Renesmee in this. Double yuck, too much drama, and I don't need it to get this to where I have to go. I solemnly swear there will be no little half-vampire babies in this story. But I make no promises when it comes to lemons, so I'll give this chapter a citrus-y warning.  
**

**Enjoy, and thanks to everyone who has left me a review so far.**

(Hermione's POV)

After I returned the La Push I walked back through the woods towards Jacob's house. I heard someone moving in the garage, and figuring it probably wasn't Billy or Rachel, I wandered inside. As I expected I found Jacob bent over the exposed engine of his car. Of course he was shirtless, the pack boys rarely wore anything on top unless they were going somewhere that required them to be covered up. Not that I was complaining, the view was fantastic, it just seemed like the cover of some trashy romance novel.

"Hey, babe," he stood up as I entered the garage. "Did you have a good shower?"

"Shower, rest, everything was needed," I nodded, not telling him about my visit with Harry and Ginny.

"Good. I got something for you," he said, motioning towards a bag sitting on his workstation.

I picked the bag up and pulled out a simple cord bracelet with a tiny, intricately carved wolf hanging from it. "It's beautiful," I breathed, studying the wolf.

"Made it myself," he beamed.

"Really?" I said in surprise as I put it on.

"Kind of a tradition with imprints around here."

"I love it," I said, crossing the room to kiss him. "Thank you so much."

"Not a problem," he said, returning his attention to the engine.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, sidling up to the side of the car and peering in, despite not being to tell anything but the dipstick.

"Nothing is wrong with it," he said, turning his head to smile at me. "I'm doing routine maintenance."

"Oh," I said, watching him as he pulled a dirty old belt from somewhere in the depths of the engine.

"Do you want to help?" he asked, holding a tool for me.

"Do you want it to run later?" I replied.

He laughed, and I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine at the sound of it. His laughter was contagious, if not a bit of a turn on. "You can't be that bad. And you could always fix it with magic, right?"

"I'll give it a shot, but I make no promises on you being able to get it out of the garage at any point after now."

"Duly noted, now come here," he said, reaching for my hand. His was covered with grease, oil, and whatever else was hiding under the bonnet, but I took it anyways and allowed him to lead me to where he was standing. I was certainly not complaining when he pressed himself against my back and bent us over the engine.

"I figured while I'm in here, I'm going to change the spark plugs, so I have to use this…" he said, grabbing a wrench with a socket attached, "… to pull the old ones out."

"I'm sure if I just poke it around randomly I might get the right hole eventually," I muttered, scanning the engine, not realizing the words that had come out of my mouth until I realized his breath had hitched and something was starting to grow against my backside. "I didn't mean that!" I cried. "I meant…"

"I know what you meant, honey," he murmured against my ear, and I felt another shiver rush down my spine, and I involuntarily shifted my hips against his. "Doesn't mean I didn't like hearing it."

I blushed and bit my lip, but he didn't say anything else as he showed me where the spark plugs were and how to pull one out. I tried on the second one, but because I don't have super-human strength I had a bit of a hard time with it. I tugged a few times, grunting each time, before finally letting off a frustrated sigh. "I don't think I can do this," I grumbled.

What happened next was surprising, but not at the same time. Jacob spun me around and pressed his lips insistently to mine, tongue running impatiently against my lips until I granted access, then hungrily exploring the inside of my mouth as if he had never kissed me this way before. Not one to complain I returned the passion he put into the kiss, wrapping my arms around him, pulling him to me until I was wedged tightly between him and the car, moaning into his mouth as his hands gripped my waist tightly as if he expected me to run at any moment.

"What brought this on?" I asked when I finally broke away for air.

"You, bucking against me, making those noises… not to mention you being sexy as hell," he managed between kisses and light nips on my neck.

"What noi… oh," I moaned as his warm hands slid up to my breasts, massaging them through my bra, just as he found just the right place on my neck to kiss. For a second I seemed to lose balance, my bottom slamming into the front of the car, and it was only his quick reflexes that stopped me from getting hit with the bonnet as it slammed down. Before I realized it I was perched on his workstation, his hands now frantically pushing tools out of the way as his lips found mine again. I fumbled for my wand in my pocket, and focused just long enough to slam the garage doors closed and lock them magically, causing Jacob to look up in surprise.

"I like where this is going," he smirked.

I responded by pulling my t-shirt off and smiling at him.

"I _really_ like where this is going," he breathed before gently pushing my legs apart so he could stand between them, then kissing my neck and shoulders as one hand slid up my spine to unhook my bra. He pulled it off with the other hand as the first slid around my body to roll my nipple between his thumb and index finger.

"Sweet Merlin," I moaned, wrapping my legs around his and pulling him towards me. I shifted my weight to one arm so I could reach between us with the other, unbuttoning his shorts and pushing them down until they fell from his frame. I wrapped my hand around his length, squeezing gently, causing him to let off a noise like a soft growl. I worked the soft skin slowly as his attentions to my breasts became more insistent, his tongue flicking across the breast his hand wasn't massaging. When I began working him a little more quickly he squeezed my breast a little too hard, and I gasped.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pressing his forehead to mine, breathing heavily.

I responded by giving his erection a firm squeeze before I slid my thumb up the underside and began to make small circles with it at the base of his head.

"Oh, God," he groaned, head dropping to my shoulder for a moment before he regained control of himself, and focused his attention on my breasts again. I alternated long strokes, applying a little more pressure the longer I went, and gently massaging the head, feeling a bead of precum develop at the tip.

"Wait, Hermione," he panted, taking a step back and out of my reach. He tugged my shoes off, pulled my pants from me and kneeled down. I leaned back, feeling him gently kissing up my thigh before flicking his tongue across my nub. I nearly hit the workbench as my arms seemed to forget how to hold my body up, but I managed. He took his time, I could feel his eyes watching me the whole time. He started cautiously, long, slow strokes with his tongue, circling my whole area, probing my entrance but not applying the pressure I was desperate for. I tried pressing my hips upwards, but his hands were suddenly on my legs, holding them down. I desperately shifted my hips until his tongue found my sweet spot, and my arms really did give and I fell onto the workbench, my breath ragged, my fingers tightening in his hair as my body tightened. Suddenly the tension in my body broke, and I felt pleasure wash over me as my lungs begged for air. Vaguely I could feel Jacob standing, pulling me to the edge of the workbench, and pushing himself inside me in one quick thrust that had me crying out. The day and night before was about making love, pouring our feelings into it, taking our time. This was the opposite. He pulled me roughly up, lips crashing into mine, as he thrust roughly into me, one hand holding me in place by the small of my back. I could taste myself on him, and while before I would have thought it off putting, this time I threw myself more deeply into the kiss, wrapping my arms around him, tightening my legs to draw him into me. I could feel sweat beading between us, making it easier for my body to rock against his, and I could feel his muscles moving against me as he thrust into me.

Suddenly he pulled out of me, plucking me off the workbench and putting me down on the floor facing the car. He bent over me so I was bent over the boot of the car. His hand slid down my spine until it was between us, and he guided himself back into me. One of his hands pushed my hair away so he could kiss the back of my neck and shoulders, and his other hand came around my leg to press to my nub in time with his frantic thrusts. My head fell back and my eyes closed as I focused on the feeling, knowing it wouldn't be long before he finished and desperate to relieve the tension building up inside me again. I started bucking my hips back into his as his fingers started circling, and within seconds I was releasing another cry of pleasure as I came again, and with another shuddering breath and a few erratic thrusts I could feel Jacob spill into me and panting he pulled me to him, and I turned my head so my lips could catch his.

"I'm sorry," he whispered after he finally caught his breath.

"For what?" I asked, confused.

"I seem to have made your shower earlier a waste of your time," he chuckled.

I looked down at myself and saw what he was talking about. There were smears of car grease across several parts of my body. I could feel my hair sticking to my back and at that point I was sure I looked like I had been rolling in the mud.

"I guess another shower is in order," I smirked as I turned to him. "Care to join me?"

"Do you really need to ask?" he smiled, kissing me deeply.

After a shower made only longer by the fact that it took the better part of an hour before we got any cleaning done I had to bid good-bye to Jacob as he went off on his patrol. Thinking it was the perfect time for me to make a quick trip I Apparated, landing on the driveway in front of the large white house. But something was wrong. Before, even though it was a dreary kind of day, the house was warm and inviting. Emmett and Jasper had been outside, I could see lights on in the windows, and the scent of fresh flowers lingered outside. There was none of that. I cautiously approached the house, knocked, waited, then let myself in. The house wasn't bare, the Cullens hadn't bothered to take the furniture, but anything that made the house a home was gone. No pictures, no carefully selected artwork or quirky collage made out of graduation caps. It had more the feel of a prison. A very upscale prison, but a prison.

I moved through the house, which seemed so much bigger than when I had looked it over with Alice a few days prior. You could have heard a pin drop, and the silence gave me time to think. Two days. That's all I had before Bella was going to be changed. If I got lucky I'd have a day, maybe two before they broke the news to Charlie, who I knew would immediately call Billy. Within an hour of that the pack would know. And Jacob would be fighting, I'd be a fool to think otherwise.

Sighing I sat on the couch, meaning to have a lie-down and try to figure out how I might convince the pack not to fight. I went to move the pillow when I noticed an envelope addressed to me sitting on it. I opened it and found a loopy script I could only assume was Alice's.

_Hermione,_

_Thank you, for being kind and understanding towards us. I sincerely hope that, when everything passes, we can become closer friends._

_Please, don't feel bad if you can't stop them. This is beyond you, and not your responsibility. I know you feel like you need to stop it, but they're determined, and we know we're the ones breaking the rules and don't fault them, and can never hold you accountable if they come. We know you're going to try, but you deserve more of yourself than to think you weren't able to stop the inevitable. You deserve happiness, as does Jacob (Jasper disagrees with this part), and we never meant to cause any stress between your newly formed relationship. I apologize on behalf of my family for this._

_Good luck with everything. We will never forget you. Love,_

_Alice and Jasper_

I read the note three times before I carefully folded it and put it back in the envelope. This time I really did lie down, the letter clutched in one hand, the bracelet from Jacob weighing on my other wrist, and for the first time since I came to Forks I felt truly alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Jacob POV)

Hermione had spent the night with me each night, and after the fourth night I decided it was time to have a discussion with her about what she was planning on doing once her vacation time had run out, and what part I played in that decision. But I didn't want to do it until she was awake, and I was unwilling to wake her up, so I stayed by her sleeping form, fingers twisting a dainty curl, covering her when she started to shiver and nuzzled herself to me for warmth.

I heard the phone ring, but the sound was faint thanks to the silencing charm Hermione had placed on my room. Billy knew we were together, but I think he appreciated not having to hear it. Our walls were paper thin, and frankly I was pretty stoked not to have to hear Rachel and Paul.

Seconds later I heard a knock on the door, and my stomach dropped. Billy wouldn't be disturbing me if he didn't think it was really important, and I had a feeling I knew what was going on. After making sure Hermione was covered I reached across her and opened the door a crack.

"I have to go to Charlie's," Billy said grimly. "Bella is dead."

"Did they say what happened?" I asked.

"Scuba accident."

"Bullshit," I said under my breath. Billy and I exchanged a knowing glance and I closed the door, already reaching for my shorts.

"Don't go," Hermione's soft voice said as she turned over to look at me.

"I have to…"

"I know as well as you do what's going on. Don't go. Please," she begged in a whisper.

"The pack is going to find out about this quickly. I'm going to need to go anyways," I pointed out, climbing out of the bed and putting on my shorts.

"Then let them find out," she sat up, clutching the blanket to herself. "It buys us some time to think up a way to convince them not to go fight."

"They broke the rules," I snapped. "They have to pay for that."

"They broke it so two people in love could be together. I would think that would be a good reason to consider an exception," she stood as I put my hand on the doorknob.

"There are _no_ exceptions," I growled.

"Why not? Some set of rules set down long ago that didn't even think that something like this might happen? Is your pack going to hold them to such a ridiculous standard for all of eternity?" She was pulling on her t-shirt as she asked.

"Yes! It's what they agreed to! If they didn't like it they could have fought rather than signed, they could have run and never come back, but they signed. They agreed. They don't get to change the rules because Bella was a reckless with her heart." I slammed the door behind me, running out of the house, hoping to get some distance between us so she wouldn't be able to argue anymore. I forgot completely that I was dating a witch, and before I could even cross the clearing she appeared, fully clothed, out of thin air.

"They're good people, Jacob," she pleaded as she jogged alongside me.

"They're vampires! You seem to conveniently forget that fact."

"Just because they're vampires doesn't make them bad people."

"How high is their death count, Hermione? Did you ever think to ask them that? You seemed so friendly with Jasper, did he tell you he created a load of newborn vampires and didn't seem to mind the piles of bodies they left behind."

"He's changed."

"They're still monsters," I snarled, stopping and grabbing her arm, turning it so she could see the hand-shaped burn scar. "Their kind maim, they hurt, they kill the lucky ones and let the rest become like them. They haven't been people for a long time, except for Bella. If you spend too much time around them you'll wind up dead, one way or the other, as well."

"Don't," she warned, snatching her arm back. "I'll visit the Cullens all I damn well please, and you've no right to stop me."

"Then I'll take the burden of having to travel to see them off your hands," I snapped, turning to leave.

"Bella was your friend," she called after me.

"That's not Bella anymore."

"Only because you don't want to see her that way. You're determined to kill them. Why? What purpose will be fulfilled by you running all over the globe hunting them down? They acknowledge that they'll never be able to come back to the area. You've won. You've protected your tribe. Hunting them down is vindictive."

"The treaty doesn't say they can't bite another human while they're living near La Push. It says they can't bite another human, period."

"You keep throwing that bloody treaty as your reason for doing everything!" she shouted. "Blast that bloody treaty! Is this really what you want, Jacob? To go to war? To fight, and possibly kill, your best friend because of an agreement your tribe made decades ago?"

"I don't have a choice!"

"We all have a choice!"

"I _don't_! As soon as Sam gives the order…"

"To hell with Sam Uley! Just because he enforces these so-called rules doesn't mean you have to follow him."

"You don't understand. When he gives the order none of us have a choice. When he says go, we all go," I said through gritted teeth, trying to stay calm, but having to fight my instinct to change

She seemed to notice, because she took a step back, drawing her wand out of her pocket. "If we all followed rules I would have been sent to Azkaban years ago, and probably would have died there, and that's if I was lucky and not given to the Death Eaters for a bit of fun first."

"Stop," I growled, body quivering at the thought of what had happened to her, and how much worse it could have been.

"If you want to break the rules, there's always a way."

"Not for me," I managed before turning and starting off towards Sam's house. I had gotten about ten steps, and was hoping she had finally given up when I heard her call after me.

"You've made your decision, Jacob," she sounded resolute. "And don't argue that it's not a decision. You've made it. I can't condone you attempting to slaughter a group of good people who only made another vampire to prevent Bella getting killed some other way. Don't tell me that if the tables were turned you wouldn't change me, because you know that if I had to become like you to be with you safely I'd be furry by the end of the week. What you, what your pack, is going to do is murder. I didn't fight, I wasn't tortured and almost killed, to watch someone else plan murder in front of me."

I realized what she was about to do, and my stomach dropped. I tried to go to her, but her wand shot up to point at my chest. "Hermione, please…" I begged.

"I'm sorry, Jacob, but you've made your choice. I won't fight with them, but I won't stand with you, either. Goodbye," she whispered the last word, turned on the spot, and was gone.


	22. Chapter 22

(Hermione's POV)

I felt numb as I landed inside my tent, snatching up my beaded bag and the portkey and running outside. I knew how fast the wolves could run, and knew this was the first place Jacob would come looking for me, and that there was a good chance I only had seconds before he showed up to try to talk to me again. I waved my wand at my tent, which deconstructed itself and then shoved itself into my bag. I grabbed it, threw it over my shoulder, re-programmed the portkey to take me to my parent's house. It glowed blue, and I only had enough time for a quick look-around before I was pulled away from La Push for what I was sure was the last time.

Because I was focusing on not turning into a blubbering mess I hit the ground a little harder than usual at the house, and I stumbled into the mantle, knocking over a school picture of myself that smashed to pieces as it hit the ground. I swore and repaired it, but I always hated repairing glass objects. They always seemed to look a little different, the glass not as smooth, and there was now a line that caught the light that was dividing me in half. I stared at it for a minute, then placed the picture face-down on the mantle. I could feel the tears threatening to fall and I had something I had to do first. I reached into my bag, finding my phone book, and quickly opened it to the C's, all while rushing for the phone in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Alice's confused voice answered after one ring. Since she couldn't see me, she didn't know I was calling, but I would have thought that she might have figured out the number of people calling without her knowing in advance was probably a damn short list.

"Alice," I said quickly, wanting to tell her quickly and get off the phone. "They know. I tried to talk Jacob out of it, but he insists that the pack isn't going give up, they're coming. I don't know when, but it'll be soon."

"Calm down, Hermione," she said calmly. "I knew something must be going on. My vision of the future has gotten spotty at best."

"I really tried to convince him not to, but he refused."

"It's okay. We didn't assume they would give up. It's why we left."

"I… I…" I mumbled, trying to think of what to say. "Is there something I could do."

"Hermione, it's okay. Seeing as you're calling from England, I'm betting you sacrificed enough on our parts. Too much, I'm thinking."

"I had to at least warn you."

"You didn't have to leave Jacob," she said kindly.

"I wouldn't have been able to look at him the same after… if he even makes it."

"Edward wants you to know that he'll do his hardest to let Jacob live."

I finally burst into tears. "You don't deserve this," I sad, trying to control my voice so she didn't know I was crying. "Why don't you come here? I know places you can hide…"

"It wouldn't be good, not with the way Bella is going to be in a couple of days."

"How is it going with her?" I asked, genuinely interested.

"Same as it went with the rest of us, though she's trying not to show that she's in pain."

"Can you see anything after?"

"No," she admitted. "But it's really hard to see newborns. They are so impulsive it would be hard to believe anything I did see."

"But you just have to wait long enough for her to gain some control, right?"

"Hermione," she said warmly, and I could hear the sad smile in her voice. "We always knew it might come to this. You did your best, but I'd hate to bring you into this. It'll cause nothing but problems if you interfere, and I would hate for you to be hurt or worse on our accounts. It's our fight, and we'll fight it and hope for the best."

"Please, Alice, tell me something I could do."

"Do you really want to know what we'd like you to do?"

"Yes. Anything."

"Forgive him."

I was silent for a moment. "Forgive him?"

"I know you'll find it hard, especially at first, depending on how this all turns out, but forgive him. Their hatred runs deep, I daresay it's as bad as Bellatrix's hatred was towards you, if it was as bad as you said it was. I honestly don't blame them, especially after the newborns this summer. Even if it takes years, all I ask is that you forgive him eventually."

"I'm not sure I can do that," I confessed.

"I'm not asking for you to go back to him, or to do anything else. Just forgive him, and make sure he knows you do."

I swallowed. "I'll try."

"Take care of yourself, Hermione," she said in her normally chipper tone, as if she were just a friend I was going to see in a few days signing off as usual.

"You, too, Alice. Tell your family…" a lump caught in my throat and I couldn't finish.

"I know. Goodbye, Hermione." The phone went dead, and I stared at it for several seconds before I pressed the button to hang it up. Suddenly I didn't feel like I had enough energy to even make it up the stairs to my room, so I sat at the table, put my head down, and cried. I'm not sure how long I was there, but the next thing I was conscious of was someone coming in the room.

"Hermione?" Mum's voice came from the door, and seconds later I was wrapped in a tight hug, the kind that Mums seem to know doesn't need any words. I cried on her shoulder for a couple minutes before I managed to calm down enough for her to loosen her grip on me.

"Fancy some tea?" she asked.

"Please."

"Anything to eat?"

"No, thank you."

"You know that the couch is much more conductive to tears and sympathy," she said knowingly as she pulled out the kettle.

A smile played across my face as I pulled myself off the chair and made my way to the sitting room, and hugging a pillow as I sat on the couch and waiting for Mum to come back with a cup of tea made exactly the way I liked it.

"Tell me, Hermione," she said, sitting next to me, placing a supportive hand on my arm.

I took a deep breath before I started pouring my heart out. Before this Mum only knew that Jacob and Sam were part of a shape-shifter pack and could turn into wolves at-will, but she had no idea about anything else. Despite that she didn't show any shock or any inclination to interrupt me in abject horror as I started telling her about werewolves and vampires, ancient stories and treaties, and finally about the imprint and what brought me to tears in the kitchen. When I finished tears were threatening to fall again.

"Sweetheart," she muttered, pulling me into a tight hug. "You get into some interesting messes, don't you?"

"You don't need to say that twice," I said with a sad chuckle. "You're taking the fact that I've been off spending my time with potentially dangerous beings quite well."

"You spent seven years getting into all sorts of mischief, and worse, with your friends. This is somewhat tame by comparison."

"I feel so helpless. I don't know what to do," I confessed in a whisper.

"You always hated not having an answer to everything, but I don't think there is a correct answer to this. I know you love Jacob…"

"How do you…?" I interrupted in surprise.

"How is it children always forget that their parents have seen love a lot longer than they have?" she smiled. "I know you two didn't want to tell me about your relationship when he stayed her that night, but I could tell there was something between you two. The way he looked at you, it was so loyal and protective, and it was almost like he was reading your mind how he would get you things or do little things for you like pick up you book while you were sitting down… I could tell he was stricken with you, but I knew for him it was much deeper than it was for you at the time. But now, with you here in tears like this… sweetheart, you didn't cry like this when you broke up with Ron, and that was two years of your life, not two months. How could you not love him if you're this worked up over having to leave him?"

I stared at my hands, trying to sort through the sudden realization that, yes, I was in love with Jacob Black. I didn't want to admit it before, because I felt somewhat manipulated by the imprint and its pull over both of us, but I couldn't blame everything on the imprint. He might have loved me as soon as he saw me, but I didn't love him back, the imprint didn't force both of us to fall in love, it just helped me realize that this was a man I could love. I fell for him all by myself. But the realization that I loved him was only more upsetting because it didn't change anything. I wasn't going to compromise my morals. Jacob was going to go fight the Cullens, probably kill one or two, and all because he refused to stand up for himself. He would never be able to convince me that he wanted to kill Bella. The tears flowed anew, and I leaned against Mum for support.

"It's hard when someone we love does something we hate. Sometimes it's unforgivable. But you have to take everything into account, Hermione," Mum whispered, stroking my hair like she used to when I was little and upset. "Perhaps it's best if you take some time to think and see how you feel in a few days."

"I'm sorry," I replied softly. "I just can't forgive him for what he's about to do."

"You'd be surprised what a man can do when he feels he has no choice."

XXXXXXXXXX

(Jacob's POV)

I was stunned for a couple seconds, staring at the spot Hermione disappeared from. I wasn't aware of phasing, but when my brain caught up with my body I was running through the woods, hoping to catch Hermione at her tent, to throw myself at her knees, to promise anything if she would just stay. But I was too late. It took less than two minutes to get there, but the tent was already gone, a bit of flattened grass the only indication that it was ever there. My heart broke, and my head threw back in a long, painful howl.

I felt Sam phase. _'Jake? What's wrong?'_ he asked.

I couldn't reply, just stare at the barren ground.

_'Hermione left?' _he asked in shock. _'Why? What happened?'_

Trying not to think of something makes it nearly impossible for it not to come to the forefront of your mind, and I started replaying snippets from the day, from Billy telling me Bella was dead, to Hermione begging me not to go, to the climax of our argument where she had her wand pointed at me, and I could see the fear and anger flashing in her eyes right before she disappeared.

I could feel Sam being conflicted. He wanted to comfort me, to give me some time to grieve, but the Cullens had broken the treaty, and it was time for the pack to take action.

_'Come on, Jake. We have to call a pack meeting,'_ he said, feeling upset he couldn't give me some time alone. Before I could respond I heard his sharp bark followed by a loud howl. I could feel everyone else phasing as I turned and started sauntering back towards the field behind Sam's house. I was one of the last to get there, and sat on the outer part of the group, which now included several young, small members who didn't get to fight the newborns because they were still dealing with their transformations.

_'What's up?' _Embry asked, sitting next to me.

_'Hermione's gone, and we're going to have to kill Bella,'_ I shot back.

_'We're going to have to kill...'_ he started, but he was cut off by Sam.

_'The Cullens have turned Bella Swan. They've broken the treaty,'_ Sam announced.

This was met with an almost overwhelming feeling of anger that swept over the pack as everyone started shouting at once. My head sunk lower towards the ground. I was about to lose the second woman who I had ever loved. Hermione left because of this, and there were now shouts for Bella's blood. I lost my imprint and my best friend in one day. And the realization of it hut, more than any pain I've ever felt, more than when my side was crushed by the vampire. I was almost unable to stay upright.

_'Any ideas where they went, Jake?'_ Sam asked.

_'Not a damn clue,' _I responded, not bothering to look up.

_'Would Hermione know?'_

My head snapped up, anger surging through my body. _'You leave her out of this.'_

_'If she knows...'_

_ 'I don't give a flying fuck if she knows where the Holy Grail is, don't you fucking dare go after her.'_

_ 'Where is Hermione, Jake?' _Quil asked.

_'Gone. And she's smart enough to know that if we're not coming for information, I'm coming to find her. She's going to hide in the magical community, where we can't find her.'_

_ 'Isle Esme,'_ Seth thought suddenly, but he tried to cover up the thought. Unfortunately for him Sam had heard.

_'What was that?'_ Sam asked, rounding on him.

_'Forget it,' _Seth said, looking uncomfortable. I didn't need to pick his brain to know he doesn't want to fight the Cullens any more than I do.

_'Tell me!'_ Sam ordered.

_'Isle Esme,'_ Seth said in a hushed voice, looking ashamed of himself. _'I heard Alice Cullen mention it to one of their cousins. It's an island in Brazil, where Edward was taking Bella for their honeymoon. It's probably just a ruse.'_

_ 'It's the best lead we have. Say goodbye to whoever you have to and meet back here in an hour. We're going to Brazil,' _Sam ordered.

_'I'm not going.' _The words had passed through my head before I realized what I had said.

Sam turned to stare me down. _'What was that, Jake?'_

I suddenly felt more bold, standing to stare back at him. _'I said I'm not going. Bella was my best friend. I can't kill her.'_

_ 'You are going,' _ he ordered.

_'No. I'm not. This isn't right. Bella made her choice to be with Edward, and as long as they stay the hell away from La Push I think we should just leave them alone.'_

_ 'You're just saying that because that's what Hermione thinks.'_

_ 'Leave her out of this!' _I growled, drawing myself up to full height and barring my teeth. _'I'm not doing this! I can't kill Bella, and even if I could I wouldn't because she made her choice, even if it's a fucking stupid one, and as long as that's the only person they bite I'm willing to live with this.'_

_ 'Stop, Jake,' _he ordered again. _'We're doing this as a pack, and as part of that pack, you're going.'_

_ 'I'm not!' _I shouted back, and a sudden look of shock crossed through the pack. They exchanged looks and quick thoughts, and it was only through those thoughts that I realized my voice had come through in a double-timbre, just like Sam's when he gave orders. My Alpha voice.

_'Jake...'_ Sam's voice wavered.

_'No. I'm done taking orders from you. I am not fighting the Cullens, and as Ephriam's true heir, I hereby forgive the Cullens their slip-up!'_

The silence around the group was deafening. I felt a surge of power rush through me as Sam and I stared each other down, growling, poised to strike. Something faltered behind Sam's eyes, and he suddenly backed up a pace, his body shrinking back in an unmistakable show of concession.

It was then that the gravity of what I had done hit me. I had challenged Sam, and he had given me back the position that was mine by birthright. I was now the Alpha of our pack, and my first order had been to forgive vampires. My pack was scared and confused, and looking to me as to what was going to happen now.

_'Seth, you're best at computers,' _I said, my voice resigned and back to normal. _'See if you can find some newspapers in English. If so, just keep an eye out for mysterious disappearances or dead people drained of blood or something. Let me know if you find out anything. Everyone else... go home.'_

I turned and started back towards my house, pausing in the woods to phase and get rid of the sudden overwhelming amount of chatter about what just happened. Soon there was the sounds of footsteps coming up behind me. I was expecting Sam, so I was sort of surprised when it was Leah who was right next to me.

"That was awesome," she said.

"Yeah. Great," I muttered, walking a little faster, but she kept pace with me.

"No. Seriously. I don't like the Cullens, but attacking them didn't seem right. I didn't want to get into a fight we didn't have to have."

"You just were worried about Seth," I shot back.

"No. Well, yes, I was worried something would happen to Seth and I'd have to drag his body back to Mom, but at the same time I agree with you. She chose to be with him. I don't like it, but it is the way it is. And if that's what she has to do so he doesn't tear her apart during sex, I guess that's the way it is, too. As bad as everyone thinks I am about Sam, she was a million times worse without the leech, and maybe it's for the best."

"Whatever. I really don't give a shit, Leah."

"She loved you, you know."

"Didn't stop her leaving , did it?"

"I would have been shocked if it had. Hermione doesn't seem like the type to not speak her mind."

"Just leave me alone," I grumbled.

"I just wanted to offer to help."

"Help what?"

"Help find her, of course."

"If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be."

"We could try," she shrugged.

"Why the sudden interest in helping me?"

"Because the part of moody heartbroken pack member is already taken?"

"Right," I rolled my eyes.

"And, the way I see it, it's going to be weeks before we can run to England, and it is awfully far from Sam..."

"Nothing in it for you, huh?" I felt a tug at my lips, but didn't manage a smile.

"Purely altruistic. You lettin' me come or not?"

"Not. I'm not going."

"Why not?" she asked, shocked. "Don't you want her back?"

"More than anything. But she doesn't want me back. And I think me showing up saying I decided against fighting the Cullens might seem like the ultimate act of desperation. She'd probably think my heart isn't in it, I was just doing it for her."

"Aren't you?"

"Thank, Leah. I've imprinted, so I can't think for myself, obviously."

"Well, didn't you fight with Hermione because of them?"

"Yeah, but I guess I just needed to think about what she said. I might have taken her side, but it's only because I felt like that was what was right. I loved Bella once, I don't want to kill her. And I guess killing the asshole she's married to would probably send her walking into flames. Same for anyone else in that family. To forgive Bella becoming a vampire, I have to forgive all of them. I don't like it, in fact I hate it more than anything else, but I forgive it."

She stared at me as we made it to my front steps, then did the most un-Leah like thing I think I've ever seen- she hugged me supportively. "Anything you need, Jake."

"Yeah. Thanks," I muttered before stumbling inside to curl up on my bed and hope I woke up from the nightmare.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for sticking through my crazy schedule. One of these days I think RL might become less of a hassle, but I think if that starts happening I might be hiding under the table waiting for the sky to fall. If my spelling/grammar is atrocious in this one, I apologize. RL gets crazy for everyone sometimes.**

(Jacob's POV)

I didn't remember falling asleep, and when I awoke I had that one quick second where I had hope that it was all a bad dream, that I would reach out and find Hermione's body there, her smile waiting for me, her hair that always seemed to go wild sometime at night spread out on the pillow. But I quickly realized that I am not lucky enough for that sort of stuff to be only in my bad dreams. Luck was for asshole vampires, apparently, who don't have to sleep and can get their girls to follow them like attention-seeking puppies. I get a girl who can play hide-and-seek better than anyone, and who can quickly get far enough away that I can't track her down to tell her that I agreed with her, and did the right thing.

I don't know how Leah wound up my second-in-command, but suddenly she was over more often. I would tell her that I wanted everyone to get back to normal and leave me the hell alone, and somehow she managed to keep up with the patrol schedule and not be fazed by the numerous insults I threw around at random. If I didn't know better, I would swear Leah was human. And, for a bonus, having her around kept Sam away for the most part. After a couple days it was back to normal, I was just the one people tried to bug with reports or complaints about schedules.

"Jake?" my dad called for me on the third day after it happened.

"Yeah?" I asked, coming out of my room, dirty and tired despite having slept for almost 14 hours straight. It took me a moment to register that Charlie was there, bleary-eyed and upset looking.

"Chief," I muttered, sitting in the chair across from him. "I'm so sorry about Bella..."

"Jake," he whispered, his voice hoarse, his lips cracked. "I never thanked you properly for getting me my little girl back."

I shot a look at Billy, confused.

"After Edward left, I mean," he continued after he had seen my face. "I thought I was going to have to send her away. She was so unhappy. And then she started seeing you... it took a while, but it was like having her be her again."

"Don't mention it, Chief," I murmured. Seriously. Don't mention it. Please. I can't take much more of this right now.

"We... Renee and I... are trying to put together a little memorial. Nothing much. The Brazilian Coast Guard have told me they haven't recovered her bo..." he stopped with a sob, then took a deep breath and continued, "and they don't expect they will."

I bit my lip and wondered vaguely which Cullen was faking a Brazilian accent to give him this 'news'.

"So we've decided that we're gonna hold a small memorial, friends and family only, and the Cullens plan on buying side-by-side markers for them. I was gonna ask if you would be willing to say a few words."

_How about this is all one big fucking hoax?_ I wanted to say. _Bella isn't dead, but there's a good chance someone else is going through this grief right now because she killed their family member._ I couldn't respond properly, so I swallowed and looked at my hands. I can't give a eulogy, not at a fake funeral for someone I know isn't really dead.

"Just give it some thought, okay?" Charlie forced a smile.

"I'll think about it," I promised to the floor.

"Thanks." We sat in silence for a minute before he decided he wanted to talk. "How's Hermione?"

Wrong thing to say. The anger I felt at the Cullens putting on this charade for a grieving father who shouldn't be grieving suddenly turned back into depression, and it was all I could do to keep the tears from falling.

"Gone," Billy answered for me.

"Gone?" Charlie asked, surprised.

"She left a few days ago. She and Jake got into an argument. She said she was homesick and booked the first flight out."

"I'm sorry, Jacob," he reached out and put his hand on my shoulder in support, which made me feel worse. He was supposed to be mourning Bella, not comforting me over losing Hermione.

"S' alright," I managed.

He was quiet for a moment before answering, "No, it isn't. I could tell you loved Bella. I saw it in your eyes when you looked at her, how angrily you looked at Edward when he came back. I heard that you two got into a fight over her at the high school. I was hoping she would have seen it, too. And when she got engaged you all but disappeared from her life. But I saw something in you when you were with Hermione, Jake. It was more than what it was for Bella, anyone could see that. And she felt something for you back. And I thought that if it didn't work out with Bella, at least you had found your happiness. And seeing you like this..." he sighed, then looked at Billy. "It's like seeing Bella in her stupor again. I was saving some money up for Bells to go to college," he announced suddenly. "She was saving some, too. I found it in her room the other day. I think she would want me to give it to you, so you can go to England and try to work things out with Hermione."

"You don't have to do that, Charlie," I said, finally managing to look into his eyes.

"I want to," he emphasized. "Those Cullens aren't letting me pay anything for the memorial, and it's not worth fighting with them over it. I got everything I need. It's just money, and you're the closest..." he trailed off, but I knew what he was going to say. I'm the closest thing he has to a child right now, since I've been like his son for a while. He raised me nearly as much as Billy did. He genuinely wants to see me happy. I almost tell him why the money is no good. Why I can't just fly over there and find her. I almost told him everything in that moment.

"Thanks, Charlie," I said with a smile. I'll work out with Billy how to turn it down later.

"You want me to go over to the church with you?" Billy asked.

"Yeah," Charlie stood, a move that seemed unnaturally slow with the weight on him.

They left, and I debated hiding out in my room before Rachel and Paul got back from wherever they were hanging out, or before Leah showed up, when the phone rang. I answered it automatically.

"Jake?"

There it was. That voice. The one I knew so well, but it was wrong. It was sing-song, but dangerous at the same time. The klutzy girl had now become the consummate femme fatale.

"Bella," I sighed. Neither one of us talked for a moment. We both needed to deal with the gravity of the situation between us now. But I guess she gets over things more quickly now, because she spoke first.

"How are you?"

"Fine," I replied blandly. I'm still halfway between missing her and wanting to kill her.

She paused, that tense pause that, even over the phone, denotes that she knows everything is not fine. Luckily she decided not to press the subject, and continued, "Alice wanted me to call you."

"About what?"

"She said that her vision of the future became much more clear a couple days ago."

"I guess that might be because I decided to forgive you,"

"Really?"

"Once," I stressed. "If I hear you killed someone down there..."

"She didn't," I heard Edward's voice, and realized he must be standing next to her, listening in. "She hasn't been anything like a normal newborn. She ran away from the smell of bl..."

"Do me a favor and just shut up?" I interrupted. "Don't make me forget that I forgave you this once."

"Jacob..." Bella whispered.

"You got what you called for, right? Good-bye."

"Jake, we know about Hermione," she said quickly before I could hang up.

"Don't, Bella..."

"We could call her. Tell her you forgave us. She gave us an emergency number. I could give it to you."

"I really don't need charity from leeches right now. Especially your... family."

"Please, Jake. I want to help."

"I don't want it right now. You want to do me a favor? Don't talk to Hermione. Let me deal with this."

"Anything we could do, just tell me. We owe you..."

"Don't remind me of that, either. You really want to do something for me? Tell Charlie what the hell is going on. I can't see him like this much longer."

"You know we can't do that, the danger he would be in..."

"I don't give a shit about that, Bella. I don't think Charlie is the type to go broadcasting everything. I doubt he would even tell Renee. She has her husband. Charlie had you, and now it's gone. And I'm worried he might do something drastic. He tried giving me your college fund."

She was silent for a while, and I could picture her exchanging meaningful looks with Edward, which made me so upset I was in danger of crushing the phone. "I can't promise anything, Jacob," she finally said. "Especially not until the memorial is over and everyone thinks I'm gone."

"But if he had an idea that there might be something supernatural around before we come it might lessen the shock," Edward added.

"So you're passing this off on me, now?" I scoffed.

"He's going to need strength, Jacob. There's no one around there stronger than you. Talk to Billy about it."

"Yeah, sure."

"Are you sure you don't want us to call Hermione?" Bella asked. "She's very friendly with Alice , Jasper, and Carlisle..."

"No," I said firmly. "Right now I just want to be alone."

"I'll call in a few days."

"You do that," I replied, offering no promises.

"I love you, Jake."

I sighed. "Bye, Bella."

"Goodbye."

I hung up the phone, went to my room, and did my best to fall back asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

(Hermione's POV)

I gave myself two days before I decided that I had to force myself to think about something other than Jacob. And I figured the best way to do that was through work. The first day was... awful. I locked myself in my office and plowed through paperwork like a human computer, worried that every knock at the door might be one of my friends coming in to talk. The second day was worse, because I. realized the paperwork wasn't distracting me, and every time I caught a glimpse of a word that reminded me of him my mind would wander and the sadness threatened to creep back up on me again. The third day was torture. I had been assigned to look over the latest revisions on the Werewolf Rights Act, and I resorted to putting my only picture that involved Professor Lupin on my desk to remind me which type of werewolves I was talking about and try, in vain, to keep the other kind out of my head. Several times I found my mind wandering, always to lush green woods, a cliff overlooking a vast gray-blue ocean, warm arms encircling me...

I wasn't sure that I could keep going. The Ministry seemed to be shrinking every day, closing in on my office. I started thinking about the places I was passing. This lift was the one we took down to the Department of Mysteries, down to a battle we were ill-prepared for, and Sirius' death. That one I rode with Umbridge down to the courtroom, the one I was supposed to have reported to, the one where I would have been delightfully sentenced to Azkaban for the crimes of being a Mudblood and Harry Potter's friend. I looked at the faces around me. Sure, Umbridge was gone, and they had purged the place of Death Eaters, but they couldn't afford to fire everyone who was complacent in the 'crimes against muggle-borns'. Some of these people not only knew everything that was going on, participated in the spread of propaganda against me and everyone else without the benefit of magical parents, but many of them bought into the lies that were spread. They repeated them, they believed them. A few short years ago many of these people would have been fine with seeing me dead.

I had a client set up for 10 o'clock on the fourth day, something to break up the humdrum, and so I straightened up my office and waited.

"Miss Granger," a familiar voice called from my door at exactly 10.

"Professor Snape," my head shot up, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I was told that my appointment was with you this morning, and I'm following directions."

"Oh," I said blithely. "Come in, sit down," I said quickly, feeling weird for giving directions to my former professor.

He closed the door behind him as he sat, straight and stiff as I remembered, though less intimidating not surrounded by billowing black cloaks.

"What can I do for you, Professor?" I asked.

"I'm here for the somewhat routine matter of importing boomslangs."

"You don't just buy the skin?" I asked, reaching for the proper form.

"I find that very few people have the skill to properly remove it, and often they have stores of it just on the verge of going bad. What the school buys is often bad by the end of the school year. Good thing your little stunt with Polyjuice in your second year was early enough it was still in good enough shape for use. By the end of the year you might not have found it as effective, though that might have been for the best in your case."

"You had to bring that up," I grumbled. "So, are these for the school?"

"No. I'm doing a little research on my own, and I want as fresh as I can get. This is done beyond the school budget- in a store that even you never found. I figured importing live boomslangs would be best, but I need permission for your department to do so."

I was watching him, my quill placed above the form but not filling it out yet. "Why do you teach, Severus?" I asked, dropping all formality.

"What do you mean?" he replied.

"I read potion journals, I've read all sort of books, but I got a look at your old textbook, and you are so much smarter than anyone who writes those things... why are you content being just a potions professor?"

"Some would say that teaching is a higher calling," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"And some would say you hate it. That you get a bunch of dunderheads who are more apt to blow up the lab than to produce a decent potion. You don't have the patience for them. Why do you still do it? Why don't you just go into research?"

"I'm a former Death Eater, Hermione. Do you think that looks good on a resume?"

"Then why don't you open your own brewing business? Provide potions for hospitals, schools, shops..."

"Using what for money? Hogwarts doesn't pay that well, and I recently had a rather large healthcare bill."

I bit my lip. "I could loan you the money. I was going to buy a house, but I could easily get a flat with my income, and you could use the money to start a business."

"No. I don't wish to be more in debt to you."

"But I'm confident you'd easily make the money back. People might not like what you did in the past, but they'll overlook that for perfect, more potent potions. And with a business like that you'd have time to do your own research."

"You can be too persistent at times, Granger," he sighed.

"Think about it," I shot back in annoyance. "You may think it a silly idea today, but when this new batch of dunderheads sets fire to something important, like your hair, you'll be singing a different tune."

He smiled as he shook his head, and I'll admit that when he smiles, a genuine smile and not a sinister looking smirk, Severus looks almost human. It reminds me why I consider him a friend how, instead of just a former professor I talk to on occasion.

"One might ask why you are working here," he said casually.

"What do you mean?"

"You're smarter than this place. Five years ago you would have been happier if this place suddenly disappeared, now you're content behind this desk with mounds of paperwork. A mid-level job for the 'brightest witch of her age'."

"I wanted this job so I could help gain rights for house-elves and werewolves..."

"You're not content to make friends with someone to do the boring job and start a foundation that lobbies, like anyone else wanting their cause made into law?"

"I want to help," I said meekly.

"If it makes you happy," he shrugged.

I bit my lip and scowled. And there's the Professor Snape in all his mean-spirited, snarky glory. Thank Merlin he reminded me of that. I ran the risk of actually enjoying his company and possibly wanting to do it again in the near future.

"I'll admit to being surprised at hearing you were the one I was going to be talking to. I thought you'd still be running around in the woods."

I frowned. "Something happened," I muttered.

He looked at me until I couldn't take the silence.

"Let's just say that there are very few things I don't condone in a partner, but being part of a massacre is one of them."

"Ah. So your animal-drinking friends..."

"Are still alive, last I heard. I don't know how long it's going to take the pack to find them. And I don't know who is going to come out on top."

"How many wolves were in that pack?"

"If they take the young ones, fourteen."

"Eight vampires, one a newborn? The wolves have the advantage. Even with their talents the sheer number is hard to overcome."

"Don't talk about it," I grumbled.

"When are you going to find out about the fight?"

"I'm not," I said, starting to furiously filling out the form. "Unless the vampires come out on top. Then whoever is still around is going to call me."

"I take it you are no longer involved with the shape-shifter, then?"

I pulled out a large book of magical creatures and slammed it on the desk, then opened it to find the right code for the boomslang. "If you are looking to be my next mistake, Severus, I'm sorry to inform you I've instituted a mandatory three-month wait between them. But I'll be willing to file your application for later consideration."

His eyebrow cocked, and that's when I realized that I had all but admitted that I would consider him as a partner in the future, and my face started burning bright red. I desperately searched for the right words, but luckily he decided to act as if I hadn't made the implication.

"Perhaps you have spent too much time around Potter and Weasley. You seem to have picked up their habit of making rash decisions based on minimal information. It's a dangerous way to live, if Potter hasn't proven the point a dozen times over already."

I signed the form, bid good-bye to Severus, and wandered off to do an early lunch. I suddenly had a lot to think about, but no matter what I tried to focus on my thoughts always wandered back to Forks and supernatural beings.


	24. Chapter 24

(Jacob's POV)

The memorial sucked. First, the Cullens didn't dare push their luck by showing up, so they deliberately picked what was going to be a horrible Saturday, then called the night before and said they weren't going to be able to make it, but to go on without them. They had made sure that Renee and Phil had made it in the night before so they could take part in the charade. I never committed to saying a few words, and luckily the pastor of the local church decided to make it more casual and invite anyone the chance to stand up and speak. Some of Bella's friends from High School came in to talk a little, but it was painfully obvious that she was a girl they had known for a little over a year and that they liked, but they never really knew. So they spoke a little of their time together, then moved on. Jessica Stanley remembered to throw in a few things about Edward, but they were tinged with bitterness at Edward not choosing her. I pretended to be overcome with grief at the loss of my friend, and unable to speak. After the mercifully short service I hung around with Billy at a makeshift wake, where Jessica approached me.

"Haven't seen you around much without that girl," she said with a smile, and I couldn't believe that this seemed like a good time to flirt with someone.

"Yeah," I murmured back, avoiding making eye contact.

"Is there trouble in paradise?"

"Just a bump in the road. We'll get over it," I lied, searching around for some excuse to get out of the conversation before it got more awkward.

"You know, you don't have to go back to someone who doesn't appreciate you," she smiled coyly and placed a hand on my arm.

"You know, you have a real habit of wanting men who are much too dangerous for you. You wouldn't have been able to handle Edward, and you couldn't handle me," I snapped, pushing past her and going outside, sitting on a bench and cradling my aching head in my hands.

"Jake?" Charlie was suddenly in front of me, and I could hear the crunch of gravel behind him that indicated Dad's chair was behind him. "Renee and Phil decided they'd rather stay in Seattle tonight, so they just left. I was wondering if you'd swing by the house for a while?"

"Yeah," I replied, no fight left in me. I helped Billy into his van and followed the cruiser over to Charlie's house. While I drove Billy told me that the Cullens had ordered the markers for Edward and Bella, and were going to place them when they came in, but Renee didn't feel like she wanted to be around for that, and asked for a small marker for her garden. She wanted to leave, her last connection to Charlie was severed, there was nothing left in Forks for her, and she must have wanted to escape as soon as she got here. I knew the feeling.

At Charlie's house I helped get Dad inside, then dropped onto the couch, waiting for Charlie to get on with whatever he wanted to say.

"Have a beer, Jake," he said, tossing me a can, then giving one to Billy and opening one for himself.

"Giving alcohol to minors now, Chief?" I asked, holding the can tentatively, waiting for him to realize I was still just a teenager.

"We've all had a hell of a day. Just make sure you get Billy on the couch before you get too drunk to do it.

"You bet," I smiled, popping the top and drinking the whole thing quickly.

"Hey, take it easy," Charlie chastised. "Please try to act like you've never had a drink before."

"I haven't. I figured if you're going to get me drunk, it might be best to do it quickly and get it over with."

"Just don't overdo it. I am a police officer."

"Yes, sir," I smiled. After three more drinks the alcohol started catching up with how fast my body could burn it off, and I transferred a half-drunk Dad to the couch and Charlie broke out a bottle of whiskey. I quickly lost track of how many we had, but I knew I was outpacing them by about three drinks to one. By the time the bottle was drained and Charlie went in search of another I was decidedly not sober and wondering if I was going to get a hangover. Billy laid down on the couch, and they started watching some late game.

"If you need somewhere to lie down, you can use Bells' room."

I didn't even think about it climbing the stairs, but before I knew it was standing in the middle of Bella's bedroom, which was exactly as I remembered it. Her books were lined up the same as they had always been, her clothes were still lined up in the closet, the only difference was there was a spot on the desk where her computer used to sit which was now empty. My eyes were drawn to a board above her bed with several pictures. In the middle was one of her and Edward at her graduation party. It must have been before Alice killed the mood with her vision, because they were both smiling, gazing lovingly at each other, the type of romance every high-schooler dreams of having. But even in the picture I can tell something is wrong. Edward's sits a little too straight, his eyes were a little too bright, the light reflecting off his pale skin was unnatural. Had Charlie seen this picture? Had he seen what I had seen? Had he ever noticed that Edward's eyes changed as the days went by, that he became more moody and short-tempered when they were dark, but he was much more pleasant when they were the bright gold that indicated a recent meal? Did he ever notice that Edward never came by on sunny days, never took him up on an invitation to have a backyard barbeque when the weather was nice?

Suddenly rage coursed through me. How could he not notice? How could everyone in Forks not notice what was going on? It's not like any of us were hiding in caves and only coming out in the dead of night. Our pack had been spotted several times. People were running around trying to convince everyone to save the Olympic wolf, not knowing what the hell they were campaigning for. And I don't care about most of the idiots. Let them not know what is lurking around their town. Let them live happily with a group of blood-suckers all but admitting it in front of them... ignorance is bliss as they say. But keeping it from Charlie is wrong. He's close enough to it all that he should know. He can take it, he's taken more than most men should have to, and he's proven that he can handle it. I hate being the one to decides to finally be honest, but Charlie deserves honesty.

Suddenly I could barely feel the effects of the alcohol. I ran downstairs, coming to a stop in the living room, cutting Billy off mid-joke.

"Something wrong, Jake?" Charlie asked.

"He should know," I said to Dad.

His face fell, and he suddenly looked sober. "You can't tell him. Just because you forgave them breaking it doesn't mean you can break it in return."

"I know I can't tell him everything, but I can tell him enough. He deserves to know."

Dad looked from Charlie to me, then nodded once.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked, sounding worried.

"Chief, have you noticed a bunch of... unusual stuff going on around here lately?" I said, sitting on the coffee table and looking at him.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you been getting a lot of reports about strange animals, weird sights in the woods, anything like that?"

"There will always be people who see weird stuff out in the woods, and they always feel like they have to talk to a cop about it..." he stopped as the realization dawned on him. "Are you talking about those big wolves people have been reporting."

"Don't you find it weird that you've lived here all your life and never heard about those wolves, and suddenly there are dozens of sightings of them in just a few weeks?"

"Well, yeah, of course, but I figured they must have been from Canada and driven down here in search of food or something."

"Have you ever considered that there might be something... more going on?"

"What do you mean, more?"

"I mean something supernatural."

He looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean, supernatural?"

"I mean that there are a lot of things going on around you that people are trying to keep from you. I'm betting you've noticed things were off. I know you've noticed some things like our tribe hating the Cullens..."

"I never understood it. They seem like nice enough people."

"Some of them are nice," I conceded. "But the people thing is what we have a problem with."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that I would have nothing against the Cullens if they were just normal people, but our problems with them are old and have been around for a long time. Longer than any of us have been alive."

"How could you? They only just moved here a couple years ago."

"They've been here before. And when I say they, I mean _them,_ not their relatives or ancestors."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that our tribe are enemies with them. Always have been, always will be. But hating them isn't enough. We're strong, stronger than they are. And we've adapted to make sure they stay off our land. But our bodies aren't enough in this form, so we take another. We are the wolves, Charlie."

"I.." he stammered, glancing quickly to Billy. "I don't understand..."

"Several of us from La Push, we've formed a pack. To protect our land and our people. And when we need to, we can take the form of wolves to be better protectors."

"Protect from what?"

"_Their _type. Death."

He looked wildly around at us, apparently waiting for one of us to start smiling and telling him this was all a big joke, but it wasn't coming. "You're kidding, right?" he whispered, and I could tell he was hoping that what he was hearing wasn't true, but deep down things were falling into place and he knew I wasn't lying to him.

"I wish I was."

"Does... did Bella know?"

"Bella still knows. She knew about _them_ well before she did us, and she still made the choice."

"What do you mean still?" he asked slowly, fearfully.

"Bella is not as gone as you think she is," I replied.

Several emotions passed over his face, from shock to relief to anger, and tears formed at the corner of his eyes. "Where is she?"

"She's got to stay away for a while, until she's safe."

"Has she become one of what the Cullens are?"

"Yes," I said simply.

"And what are they?"

"I can't say. We have a treaty, and it forces me not to say anything. But think. Think, for a minute, that every story you've ever heard is true. Think about what I've told you. I can't tell you, but I think you know, if you'll let yourself think it."

He closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths, his hands shaking. "I knew he was no good for her," he whispered. "I should have pushed harder for you."

I let off a snort. "I would have broken her, too. Maybe not as bad as Edward did, maybe worse if she had let herself fall for me. Because I was never hers. One look at Hermione and I became hers for forever. At that moment I couldn't have loved Bella the way she needs to be loved, and I would have left her for Hermione. That's part of being like this. Several of us have done it, it's called imprinting, and none of us live for anyone than our imprints after it happens. There's no choice, and trust me, I tried."

"Then why don't you want to go try to get her back?"

"I can't, because I don't know where she is. Hermione is part of another group, and if one of them wants to hide, you or I could never find them."

"What is she, a ghost or something?"

"A witch, Charlie."

His eyes slid out of focus, like he was overwhelmed, and Billy managed to put a pillow behind him as he slumped backwards. "Like wands and cauldrons and stuff?"

"Yeah, that. Right down to riding on broomsticks, though Hermione isn't a fan of flying, with the exception of her flying motorcycle."

"Oh, my God," Charlie murmured, looking close to fainting. "You're really serious? This isn't some big joke?"

"Wish it were, Chief," Billy murmured.

He looked up at me suddenly, yes wild. "When do I get to see Bella again?"

"That's up to the Cullens," I replied.

"Please, you have to let them know I know. You have to get Bella to give me a call. I have to hear her voice," he begged.

I felt my fists clench at the hurt in his eyes. "I can't really..."

"Please, Jake. No one else can..."

"I can't!" I shouted, standing up. "I heard her once, I can't do it again!" I growled before stalking out to the backyard and phasing without thought as to who might be watching. I glanced back to see Billy and Charlie staring at me, then launched myself into the woods, trying to outrun my problems.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Hermione's POV)

Three days. It took me three days to get the true meaning behind Severus' words. Why did I settle for a desk job at the Ministry? I was Hermione Granger, the intelligent third of the Golden Trio, the one who stuck by Harry Potter through thick and thin, the one no one questioned when it came to pulling out some obscure spell or bit of random trivia when something needed to be solved. I was the one who found the information about Nicholas Flamel, I solved Severus' logic puzzle, without me who knows how long it would have taken people to figure out it was a Basalisk in the Chamber of Secrets, and that's just the start of it. For two years after school I had been in demand around the world, would still be if I didn't turn so many appearances down, and I spoke of what it was like living in that cold tent, dealing with injuries and confusion, but staying there through thick and thin. I had been offered loads of gold for a book about our experience, and I turned it down so I could start my job. Of course I wanted rights for House Elves and Werewolves, but Severus was right on that count, too. I didn't have to be some pencil-pusher sitting behind a desk at a place that plotted my arrest less than five years prior to help start change. I could start a lobbying group, target specific members of the Ministry here and abroad, work for change beyond our Ministry's boundaries. Was I really content to do this for the rest of my life?

I knocked on Kingsley's door, and was invited in immediately. Normally when someone wants to quit they only need go to their immediate boss, I have to talk to the Minister himself, partly because he's one of the few people I truly respect around this damn place and he had worked so hard to keep me happy, it just wasn't enough.

"What brings you here this fine morning, Hermione?" he asked, smiling.

"I think I'm done, Kingsley," I replied.

He looked at me with a knowing smile.

"I'm not happy with this line of work. I don't like doing the same thing every day. I don't want to forever feel like I'm being promoted over someone who has been here longer or done their work harder because of who I am."

"I don't think I've ever met anyone who works quite as hard as you, Miss Granger," he chuckled.

"And what's that going to get me? Burnt out before I turn thirty? Feeling like I'm stuck? Waking up one morning and realizing I'm not happy with where my life is?"

"Sounds like you had that morning this morning."

"Damn right, I did. I was told for the whole of my schooling that I was the smartest witch of my age, and I feel like I'm wasting my talents by being content with a mediocre job where most of what I do involves giving people permission to bring non-harmless animals into the country."

His knowing, almost paternal smile crossed his face again. "I was wondering if this day would ever come. What are you planning on doing now?"

"I think I almost have Severus sold on starting up a private brewing business. I have to admit that a first-year covering his whole dungeon in neon-green foul-smelling slime probably helped with that decision. I want to learn business from George so I can help him with the start up. I want to do something with books, starting with writing one."

"I would like a better account of what happened other than what Rita Skeeter speculates, which, if you haven't had a chance to read her new book, mostly involves a physical relationship between you and Harry."

"A what?" I asked in surprise.

"To hear her version the two of you were less Horcrux hunting and more involved with each other, and she goes so far as to insinuate that the war might have been over much earlier had it been Ronald who stayed and you walked out."

"That self-serving, slandering bug!" I shouted.

"Mister Potter and Mister Weasley had similar words about her when they were in here just last week to report an unregistered Animagus."

I couldn't help the smirk that crossed over my face.

"I'm surprised you hadn't heard. Her hearing is in two weeks, if you want to go."

"Not a chance. Throw her in Azkaban for a week for every lie she's ever printed."

"She'd be in there quite a while," he chuckled.

"No more than she deserves. I might have to write a book about the Life and Lies of Rita Skeeter, but I'm afraid I'd be stuck writing an anthology."

"Something I'm sure you could write within a year if you put your mind to it."

"No," I replied, shaking my head enthusiastically. "I have no more intentions of killing myself with work."

"And did some time in the fresh air and sunshine influence this decision?" he asked, sounding curious.

"It might have contributed."

"Should I be forwarding your owls to Forks, then?"

"Nothing is certain," I replied.

"But it is planned?"

I looked at him a moment, and realized what I had to do, what else Severus was trying to tell me. "Yes," I replied softly.

"Best get on with it, then," he said, shaking my hand in farewell.

I rushed through the Ministry to the fires, then back to my house. I pulled off my work clothes as I ran up the stairs, leaving them in a pile by my clothes hamper as I pulled on a t-shirt and jeans more suitable for where I was going. There was no guarantee when I got there, I might find horrible news, but I had to at least check. I can't keep going on not knowing, and this is something I need from his mouth.

I took the Port Key to his house, but no one was home, which wasn't a good sign. I immediately thought of Emily and ran through town to knock on her door. I was unprepared for a surly looking Sam to wrench it open, and instinctively I raised my wand to his chest.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," he muttered, eyes narrowing at me.

"I could say the same for you," I replied, refusing to lower my wand while he was looking so hostile.

"I had to stay, under orders from the Alpha."

"But you're the..." I started in confusion.

"Not anymore," he interrupted. "Jacob decided that you were right, that the treaty never anticipated a situation like one of the Cullens getting married, and that we should forgive them just this once. I tried to order him to fight, and he challenged me, taking over what was his right by birth- the Alpha position. My choice was either to split my pack or step down, and I thought with us being so close to being done with this Cullen mess it would be best to keep us as a group, and I let him have the position without a fight."

"He never told me he was the Alpha by birth," I whispered, my wand finally falling.

"He didn't want it, but I could see it was in his blood. Why else would he imprint on you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Our imprints make the pack stronger, through a better chance to have wolf children, or, as I suspect, through binding a particularly strong outsider to our tribe. If you had children with them, they could be a wizard as well as a wolf, and with that on our side how could we not have the advantage over any vampires?"

I thought about that for a minute. "Where's Jacob?" I demanded.

"He ran off, a couple days ago. He phases sometimes, but most of the time he's camping in some cave somewhere in Canada. He doesn't want to hear us anymore, doesn't want to deal with anything, he just phases now because he feels an obligation as Alpha to know what is going on, but he has no plans to come back. Losing you and Bella on the same day was too much for him."

"Where in Canada?" I asked, wondering how I was going to even begin tracking him down in the second largest country in the world.

"Don't know. He doesn't, so we can't. Far enough North there isn't much in the way of roads or signs."

"How do I get him back here?" I asked in a low voice.

He eyed me for a minute. "You know, you messed him up real bad when you left."

I sighed, feeling guilty. "The Cullens are my friends. I wasn't going to sit around and listen to people make plans to kill them."

"You won't have to worry about that anymore, if they keep to the treaty from now on. Even Jake has his limits."

"Please, can you help me get him back here?"

"I'll try," he nodded, going back inside.

I stood on the spot, unsure of what to do, then turned and started walking back into the woods to set my tent back up and wait.


	25. Chapter 25

(Jacob's POV)

Living in the middle of nowhere in Canada sucks. It's cold enough that it started to get to me, the lack of the sounds of human habitation had me waking up at the slightest out-of-place noise, and there's no one. I thought that last part was what I wanted, but after spending nights next to her I had gotten used to waking up to a warm body, in my tiny room, with her scent completely enveloping me.

The first night I was here I had killed a caribou, and, using a knife I had gotten from an abandoned campsite, carefully skinned it, turned back into a wolf to eat, then took the skin and carried it into a nearby cave to sleep on. But sleep didn't come that first night, nor did it come the second, and it only came the third because my body was too exhausted to keep going. I dreamed of her, of course, of her face looking at me in fear as her wand pointed at my chest, and then her disappearing into thin air.

I woke up after only a few hours of sleep, and started going over what I knew. I knew Hermione would be in England, she had friends there and she wouldn't leave her friends or family for much longer than she had been while with me. I knew where her parents lived, but I got the feeling that they wouldn't ask many questions if she disappeared saying she was going to Harry's or the Weasleys... though I hoped she wouldn't go back to Ron... and that her parents wouldn't be able to tell me where any of them lived because they didn't know themselves. They might be able to get a hold of her, but I doubt she would stay on the line once the conversation turned towards her relationship status. I'm not sure how they'd react to me showing up looking for her, as we hadn't told them about our relationship, and I would be willing to bet they wouldn't want me hanging around forever, and I was beyond sure I couldn't play dog in their yard for very long. But it was one possibility, so I labeled it Plan A and started thinking about another thing to do.

I could go to England, wander around a bit, and hope I got lucky when it came to someone who knew her. Magic people smelled differently, I realized that one day when I was lying next to Hermione and holding her in my arms. There was something powerful, like an unknown spice, to their scent, each a little different, but all distinguishable to my powerful nose. I could sniff around, hope to find someone from the magical community, explain the situation and hope they didn't hex me. Plan B.

Hermione had told me once how Harry had grown up with Muggles, a family called, if I remember correctly, the Dursleys living in Surrey. They sounded like a horrible couple with a son who was starting to have an open mind about things, and while Hermione mentioned Harry had talked to the son one since the end of the war it was more a confirmation that everyone had made it through alive and that they were now safe to go back out in the open. Still, she said she thought Harry might be open to a cordial relationship between his cousin and himself, so the cousin might know something about where I could find Harry, and if I could find Harry I might be able to find Hermione. Plan Z. Though it would be somewhat funny to intimidate them with my form if the parents got uppity about talking to someone who knows about the magical world and their connection to it. Maybe Plan Y.

And it was thinking about the Dursley's hate for magic that made me think of our hate for vampires, and it suddenly hit me. There was a group of people who knew how to contact Hermione. The Cullens knew. They would have given her their phone numbers, the new ones they had that came up as 'International Call' without a number when they called Billy, and she would have given them a way to contact her in case of emergency, or, if I know anything about Hermione, if they want a secure place to hide. I might not be able to call them, but I knew where they probably were. It would be too soon, too risky, to move with Bella as a fresh leech. They'd have to stay put for a while, and the Amazon rainforest would provide lots of large animals whose corpses would probably never be found by humans. If I went to Brazil I could lay down some scent trails. Seth said they were on some island, so if I stayed to the coast and as far from humans as I could hopefully one of them would come across it, and once they knew I was alone hopefully they'd find me. And perhaps make a phone call on my behalf. Just so Hermione knows. Then she could make a decision with all the facts.

Besides, the bloodsuckers owed me. Even if they couldn't help me find Hermione perhaps they'd give me a place to stay so I never had to see La Push and feel the memories of that place again. Maybe I could live as a human long enough phasing wasn't an option anymore, and start over somewhere where no one knew I could once change into a giant wolf and was pining over my lost witch.

I would have to run to Brazil, which meant a lot of time in form. If I learned anything by spending all this time in Canada it's that my mental connection with my pack is insanely strong, even more, it seemed, now that I am the Alpha. We can hear each other every time I phase, and it seems like they've got nothing better to do than to wait around for me to phase again and bombard me with new reasons for why I should go home. I'll admit the ones about Billy had me thinking twice about my decision to leave, but I just can't be in that house. I'm going to just have to tune them out.

I phased and ran out of the cave. I ran through the territory of a pack of wolves that decided very early in my time up here that they were going to leave me alone, seeing a few of them scatter into the bushes as I rushed through. I could tell Quil was in form, which was a relief because he seemed to understand me best, and pester me the least.

_How are you doing, Jake?_ He asked.

_I'm going to Brazil,_ I replied.

_ I was wondering if you were going to think of that route._

_ Well, it involves the Cullens, which is a group I usually try to avoid._

_ I know, but they do know how to contact Hermione, and she probably would eagerly take a call from them._

_ Don't remind me._

He was silent for a few minutes. _She's going to come back, you know._

_ How am I supposed to know?_

_ She didn't seem like the type to wait around, not knowing, forever. _

Somehow I managed to grunt in my mind.

_Listen, the girl spent months running around in the woods with barely enough food looking for something she didn't know the location of and despite her friend leaving her and cheating death more than she should she stayed with because she's too damn stubborn to give up on something in the middle. Your relationship was somewhere in the middle. She isn't going to be satisfied letting it end on that note. She's going to have to know, and I think she's going to be too afraid to call the Cullens._

_ Why would she be afraid? She's their friend._

_ Would you want to hear she was dead from the person who killed her?_

_ No_

_ Exactly. She wouldn't want to hear you were dead and find out which of her supposed friends managed to kill you, because as stubborn as she is about being friends with a bunch of leeches, she loves you more and doesn't want you dead. She'd be heartbroken to lose her friends because they killed you and she knows she can't get over it, but the worst part of it for her would be knowing you're dead._

_ Just do me a favor and let me run for a while._

_ Will do,_ he replied sympathetically.

I ran southeast. I was never really interested much in Canada, so I didn't really pay attention when the teacher was talking about it, but I know the layout of the United States well enough that once I cross into them I should be able to figure out the best way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It'll take longer to keep the coast on my left and run to Brazil that way, but it's the best I can do without stealing a map or GPS or anything.

I ran for hours with only Quil in my head, and I knew he wasn't really paying much attention to me. I was starting to pass signs telling me that I was getting to within a few dozen kilometers of Yellowknife when the worst case scenario finally played out. I felt someone else phasing, and knew almost instinctively that Sam was now around.

_Could you leave us alone for a few minutes, Quil?_ He asked.

_Sure thing. Later, Jake,_ Quil replied before phasing. I did my best to ignore Sam.

_Listen, Jake, you need to come back,_ Sam said, sounding irritated. He had been a wolf the longest, so he knew how to protect his mind the best, and I had no glimpse into his motivation.  
_I'd rather not. You want Alpha again? You can have it._

_ Doesn't work like that. You can't just take it when it's convenient and give it back when you're done with it. You took it, you're Alpha._

_ Sucks to be me._

_ Just come home._

_ Nope. Got something to do._

_ I can't force you anymore, but I promise you you'll save a lot of time and aggravation if you just come home before you go running off to Brazil or England or wherever the hell you think you're going._

He phased before I could ask what, and I stopped dead. Anger swelled inside of me. I never wanted to go back, he knew that, so why the hell didn't he just tell me why he was being so insistent that I go home? Then again, Sam never said things lightly. I looked longingly southeast. There I knew I had the best shot at finding answers. But Sam thought it would help me to go back to La Push, so I turned southwest and started running. I crossed into the states just to the east of the Columbia river sometime in the middle of the night, followed that to Wenatchee, then turned west and kept running away from the rising sun. I could smell chicken soup stewing as I passed behind the diner in Forks, and within minutes I was entering La Push. Sam hadn't told me what I was doing back, so I decided the best place to go was his house, so I started through town, but when I was passing the woods I stopped dead at a shift in the wind. I inhaled deeply, thinking I might have cracked, convinced I couldn't possibly smell what I thought I had just smelled.

But it was there again, and my feet started moving me towards the familiar spot hidden in the woods, refusing to let myself get hopeful, but I stopped short as I saw it there. The tent. Her tent. There was a light inside, and I could see someone moving, and just by inhaling I knew it was her.

Hermione was back.

XXXXXXXXXXX

(Hermione's POV)

I thought that Sam would get Jacob back within hours, but as night fell I was starting to get nervous that he hadn't even bothered to contact Jacob at all. I started thinking of what I might do to find him. All I knew is that he was somewhere in northern Canada, occasionally living as a wolf. Perhaps if it was barren enough I could fly over some areas with the bike at night and hope his superior hearing figured it out, but that was risky. I decided to give Sam twenty-four hours, then go enlist the help of a small army of broomstick-wielding Weasleys to help me search.

Deciding that I had nothing better to do I sat down with a quill, some ink, and some parchment and started to write my book. I decided that I would need to do a background, starting from when I first came to Hogwarts, so people understand how we became friends and why I stuck with him for so long and through all the challenging times that came with being friends with the Infamous Harry Potter. I admitted my faults as I wrote, I was, as Severus called me, an insufferable know-it-all as a young girl. I wanted to prove that I was the best, and I did get annoyed when someone out-performed me. Perhaps that's why I had garnered so many comparisons to Severus. Neither of us liked to lose, to be proven wrong. We were both stubborn to a fault at times. And we were both known for somewhat of a short temper. Perhaps that's why he and I had developed such a volatile friendship. We understood each other on a different level, one that was off-putting to outsiders.

I wrote through the night, unable to sleep with my nervous energy. I had just gotten to Ron getting knocked out by McGonagall's giant chess set when I heard a rustling outside. Something large was out there, and I was sure it was one of the wolves, though I didn't dare hope it was the wolf I was looking for. Seconds later I heard something much smaller moving towards my tent, and I turned just in time to see Jacob peering into the flap.

"Jacob," I whispered, standing up and turning around.

He studied me as if he weren't sure that I was actually standing there. A range of emotions crossed over his face, from anger and hurt, morphing into forgiveness and relief.

"Hermione," he whispered, moving towards me, opening his arms. I rushed into them, pressing myself against his warm chest. I felt something wet drop into my hair as he wrapped his warm arms tightly around me, holding me as if he were afraid I'd be gone again if he left go. I felt something wet on my cheek and realized I was crying in relief as well.

"You didn't go through with it," I managed.

"It wasn't the right thing to do," he replied.

I processed that for a second. He agreed with me, but this wasn't about me. He had made his own decision. It just happened to be the same position that I was pushing. He wasn't agreeing with me to agree with me and keep me happy. I mattered to him, but he was his own man. It was as much a relief as seeing him.

"I thought I was going to lose it after you left," he whispered.

"I'm so sorry," I said, feeling awful. "I really am. I felt like I was stuck between the man I loved and my friends, and at that point I stopped taking into account everything in the past with your tribe and let it boil down to vampires against werewolves, and I just thought that if they weren't around and causing a problem you should have let it go. It wasn't my place to demand you make a different decision, and I should have realized that this was beyond what I knew and understood. I don't deserve you being so nice to me right now."

"Of course I'm going to forgive you. You came back," he murmured into my hair.

"I wanted to know what was going on, so I came to talk to Emily. I was surprised to see Sam there, and he told me what was going on. He said he'd try to get you to come back."

"I almost didn't listen to him," he admitted with a chuckle.

"What were you doing?" I asked, moving us so we were sitting on the threadbare couch, though he immediately pulled me onto his lap so I could rest my head on his shoulder while being completely enveloped in his arms.

"Going down to Brazil to see if I could find the Cullens. I thought they might be able to talk to you."

"I haven't talked to them. I was staying at Grimmauld Place. There's too much magic around it for cell phones to work, and there are obviously no land lines."

"Afraid I was going to show up?"

"I decided it was time for something different, and Harry and Ginny learned long ago to not try to stop me when I put my mind to something."

"What have you put your mind to?"

I moved so I could look him in the eyes. "I quit my job," I informed him.

"But you love your job," he said, looking confused.

"I thought I loved my job, but a friend made me realize that I really didn't. That my priorities were kind of out of line. So I started thinking, and it became clear that to do something that would make me happy I would have to cut some baggage, and that happened to be my job."

"Let me guess, you have something else in the works already."

"Two somethings," I admitted. "I decided to accept the half-million Galleon advance on an exclusive biography about my life and my time with Harry..."

"A half-million Galleons sounds like a nice chunk of change."

"Nice enough to invest in Snape Potions, which is currently looking for a premises, has contracts with four apothecaries, three hospitals, and two schools, and is shooting for an opening at the end of the school year, which is the earliest Severus can be free of the 'current crop of dunderheads'."

"You gave up all your money to do this?"

"No, I gave up all the book money to buy myself a job as his business manger, at a nice salary as well as a good return on investment if this goes the way I hope. As long as Severus doesn't muck things up too bad I should be able to make most of that money back in the first few years, as well as interest and my salary."

"If you expect that crabby old jerk to be personable enough to be the face of the company..."

"Hell, no," I laughed. "That's my job- to go out, throw my name around if I have to, and find new places to sell potions to. He's in charge of the brewing, or overseeing the brewing process if we grow enough to warrant hiring, and research and development of new potions."

"Good that you're the one people will be seeing, because every time I see him I get this urge to punch him in the face, whereas every time I see you..."

"You want to do something decidedly more pleasant than punching someone in the face?"

"Depends on the person. There are some people it would be very tempting to punch in the face," he smirked.

"Well, if you want to go find someone instead of doing that other thing..."

"Not a damn chance," he growled, and his hands were suddenly cradling my back as he spun me and laid me down on the couch. Before I could think of a witty retort his lips were on mine, hungry and insistent, and I was happy to give into his demands. I crossed my arms behind his neck, holding him to me, as one of his hands made its way to the front of my blouse to start clumsily undoing buttons. He lifted me up just enough to pull it off and unhook my bra, then set me back down as he pulled that off, one hand immediately starting to massage my breast. I couldn't help but let off a sound like a purr and arch my back to press into his touch. I could feel him smile against my lips at my insistence, and slowly, tantalizingly, he kissed down my neck and chest so his mouth could match his hand's motions.

The good thing about dating one of the wolves is their devil-may-care attitude towards walking outside fully dressed, especially if they're going to be in form, as Jacob was recently. He wasn't wearing a shirt, as per usual, and his shorts were hanging a bit loose- I'm willing to bet he hadn't been eating much the past week or so and while he maybe only lost a few pounds, it was enough that I could push the shorts down with little fumbling effort.

He stopped kissing to look me in the eye. "Impatient much?" he chuckled.

"When you go from a couple times a day to none it might make one a little impatient," I replied, lifting my hips and rubbing against him to show that at least part of him was not objecting to the thought of a quick coupling.

He leaned forward, his lips brushing my ear, and whispered, "Are you sure this is what you want, Hermione?"

I grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him so I was looking into his eyes again. "Yes," I replied confidently. "Forever. I love you."

He smiled, his lop-sided smile that would make any woman melt. "Exactly what I needed to hear," he murmured, and before I could form another coherent thought he had pulled my pants from me and buried himself inside me.

XXXXXXX

(Jasper's POV)

I could live a million lifetimes and never figure out Hermione Granger. I had cracked before my family, who were respecting her wishes that we don't contact her. I know why she did it. She didn't want to know what side won our battle, because she was emotionally invested in both, and any casualties would cause her great emotional unrest. But there was no battle. Jacob Black might have made the final decision to order the pack to forgive us, but I would bet every cent my family has that Hermione had planted the idea in his brain. He had to come to the decision on his own, especially since it came at the price of his being forced to lead the pack, but my family will be forever in debt to Hermione for not standing aside when she heard his plan to join his pack in their hunt and slaughter.

I wanted to call Hermione that day, but Alice continually talked me out of it. She said that Hermione had wanted to be left alone, had said she didn't want to know the outcome because she feared it. I didn't buy it. I knew at one point she'd crack, have to know what happened. No one who has all but memorized the majority of their school library just because would be satisfied to sit back and never find out the fate of a group of people she cared about. At one point she would contact us, or the pack, or even both, and find out the truth.

I knew the moment she knew what happened she and Jacob would be back together. I have never felt an emotion quite like the pack's imprints. I've felt unconditional love, I feel it from my family, but as much as I love Alice and would move Heaven and Earth for her, I have been loathe to sever all connections to everyone else for her. At first she was wary of Peter and Charlotte because of their connections to my past, and she never fully trusts me anywhere near Maria, but my foot has been down on both points. I will not avoid my friends from my earlier years for her, though I don't see Maria I will not stay above the Mason-Dixon line just because I might run into her. But the imprints... I could see one of them giving in to every whim of their partner. Their family and friends are pushed to the back burner, if not taken off the stove completely. Long term romances have dissolved into animosity, the outside world and plans for later have disappeared, lives have been plans around children too young to be out of diapers all because some cosmic force telling them that they have found their soul mate. I would hate it. I would hate to feel like I had no choice, that I am at the mercy of another so completely that I would feel my life would be over if they left. I love Alice, even though she knows I'm going to say no to something in advance she doesn't press her advantages to convince me to change my mind. If she left I would be devastated, but I could eventually move on, though it might take a few decades. The imprint is awesome and terrifying, and I'm glad I don't have to be subjected to one, though it doesn't diminish my respect for what Jacob must have gone through when Hermione left.

I was sitting in a quiet sitting room, with everyone indulging in a book or, in Emmett's case an online MMORPG, as we awaited nightfall and another hunt for our amazingly controlled newborn.

"Why hasn't she called?" I asked, looking at Alice, though I knew she wouldn't have an answer. She can't see Hermione, probably some kind of defense mechanism witches and wizards have which is not unlike the wolves, so she wouldn't see Hermione making up her mind not to call, or to call then have a change of heart when her fingers touched the phone. I imagined her sitting at home, missing Jacob, wondering if he had found us yet, wondering who survived, but being too afraid to find out.

Alice replied with a sympathetic look.

"I'm going to call her," I announced.

I expected the room to erupt with arguments, but for once everyone was silent. Because the arguments had been said a dozen times before, and repeated for the purpose of convincing the person giving the argument and not the person arguing for the phone call. Deep down we all wanted Hermione to know.

Deciding it might be time to push my luck I grabbed my phone and, watching my family carefully and fully expecting one to grab the phone out of my hand, and no one was more surprised than me when I managed to dial all the digits and the phone started ringing.

"Hullo?" a foreign-sounding female voice answered.

"Hello, my name is Jasper, I'm looking for Hermione."

"Jasper Whitlock? The vam... er... her friend?"

I smiled. "The same, ma'am."

"Nice to sort-of meet you, Jasper. I'm Hermione's mum, and as cliché as it sounds she has told me so much about you."

"Hopefully positive," I smiled.

"Of course. Well, Mr. Whitlock, I regret to inform you that she's not here."

"Is there somewhere I could reach her?"

"Your best bet..." she paused, sounding unsure if she should tell me, "would be back in La Push."

"She went back?" I asked, surprised, and noticed that several of my family members had perked up at the news.

"Yes. We've had an exciting past few days with her, actually," she said, then proceeded to tell me about how Hermione had quit her job, taken a large bonus to write an autobiography, and used that bonus to start a small potion-related startup. And, of course, she returned to Washington to try to patch things up with Jacob. She hadn't heard from her daughter in two days, but assumed that it was good news as she trusted Hermione to be able to take care of herself. "The only thing she hasn't done is moved out," she finished with a chuckle. "Though I expect that to happen as soon as she finds a place to live. Probably in Washington, but you'd never know with Hermione."

"Well, thank you for your time, ma'am. I'll let her know to call you if I manage to get a hold of her," I smiled.

"You do that. It's been nice talking to you, Mr. Whitlock. Take care of yourself."

"You, too, ma'am," I replied before hanging up.

"Good," Esme said, nodding to herself. "It sounds like she's finally doing something that will make her happy."

"Yeah, a werewolf," Emmett said, earning him a well-placed pillow to the back of his head from Bella.

"We owe her a lot," Bella scowled at him.

"We should do something for her," Edward agreed.

"Like what? Offer her the use of this place when we're done with it so she can go on vacation with the wolf? Because I don't want it to stink in here," Emmett grumbled.

"I don't think Hermione wants a vacation, considering everything that happened with the last one," Rosalie said.

"How about we invest in her business?" Edward asked.

"Somehow I don't think that what's-his-name, Snape, maybe?, would be willing to go into business with us," I shook my head.

"We could throw a little reward her way," Alice suggested.

"She would never take money," Edward shook his head.

"I'm hard-pressed to think of anything Hermione would truly want," Carlisle sighed.

I thought about what her mother had said, and I could feel a grin crossing my face as I thought of an idea. "I know exactly what we could do for her," I announced.


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: A shorter chapter, but this story is almost over. It's been a ride, and I think it's good to end on a high note. Epilogue to follow.**

(Jacob's POV)

"Great practice, Jake!" Adam, my teammate on the Forks High School football team, called from across the parking lot.

"You, too!" I shouted back, unlocking the Rabbit. It had been quite the scandal when, the day that school started, Seth, Embry and I showed up at Forks High with our parents to enroll. Whispers had run amok around the town, how we had enrolled right after the Cullens had left town, but the whispers all but stopped when we all quickly gave in to Coach R's request that we immediately join the football team, a minor scandal in and of itself seeing as we had missed the so-called mandatory tryouts and practices. At times it was hard to remember to keep our speed and strength in check, and no one was complaining when Forks was suddenly top of our division. Last night we had easily won our first playoff game, and Coach was now demanding six day a week practices. It was nice to have a way to get out my energy that didn't involve patrolling around La Push in canine form, patrols which I had suspended once several boys who were close to their first transformations hadn't phased. It was a sign our vampire problems were over, and I thought after so long everyone could use a break.

Seth climbed into the Rabbit with me, excited for that night. It was Saturday, the day before our one day off from practice, and Halloween to boot. Hermione was throwing a costume party, both because it was Halloween and because she had completed her autobiography, which she said called for a party. So we bid goodbye to Embry, who was going to come by later, and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Are you going to the college fair next week?" Seth asked as I drove through the town.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "Hermione wants me to, she thinks it would be good for me to keep going with school, but I can't really think of anything I really want to do except work on cars, and I could learn that locally."

"It wouldn't hurt to look," he pointed out.

"It wouldn't," I agreed, though I don't think any college would be willing to sway me, no matter how big a football scholarship they were offering, and the offers were coming in for Embry and I, with scouts waiting impatiently for Seth to be ready to start shopping for a school. If I wanted I could go to any one of several different colleges and not worry about having to pay, but there were problems with this, the main one being that Hermione had established herself and didn't want to move, though she didn't see this as a big deal at all considering she could easily be at any college nearby within seconds, and any friends I got would never know she still lived near Forks.

I turned onto the side road and accelerated, anxious to see Hermione. She and Snape had been out of town for the past week, with her turning in her manuscript, and both of them filing the paperwork to start their business. Snape had been able to quit teaching when some teacher called Slughorn had volunteered to take over and spend the rest of the year training his replacement, which had been coerced by the headmistress after Snape giving a class a record number of detentions for a group of Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years. He had forced them to sit together, an ill-advised mixing of two hostile houses which came to a head a few weeks before, when the deliberate sabotaging of potions resulted in several cauldrons exploding simultaneously, which in turn resulted in a variety of different maladies and a ceiling permanently stained bright purple. When no one was willing to confess to what happened Snape had assigned them Saturday detentions for the rest of their time at Hogwarts, and took every single house point, which involved him striding to the hourglasses in the middle of dinner, counting each emerald or ruby, and deducting exactly enough to leave the glasses empty loudly in front of the class. He was offered early retirement, became a hero for Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and happily left the greatest tale of teaching meltdown in the history of Hogwarts in his wake. When told the story Hermione laughed and said the students were lucky that they must have caught Severus on a good day, since he didn't physically harm or mentally torture any of them. And she was excited, since it meant getting their business together sooner than she expected. She has been worried about having down time after finishing her book. Because taking some time off with nothing to worry about is, in itself, something to worry about in Hermione's book.

It's been over a month, and I still have to bite back a quick wave of nausea when I pulled into the long driveway, but it was gone long before I pulled up to what had formerly been the garage that housed around half a million dollars worth of cars. It had been closed off, save for a solitary heavy door, made into a dungeon-like room with a solitary brass plate on the door that said 'S. Snape- Master of Potions'. I looked up at the large house that once held the family of vampires. The upper levels had been divided into two living spaces so the business partners could live in the same dwelling as their business, but not have to feel like their living space was completely entwined. They agreed to leave the bottom level untouched, so the kitchen and large living areas were open to entertaining, though I suspected Snape had put his own kitchen in somewhere, since I often didn't see him for days, and I was over more often than not.

Several large pumpkins had been carved and placed around the driveway, lit by lanterns instead of candles. When we walked up the stairs to the front door a group of bats took flight from the bush next to the door, fluttered around our heads for a moment, then landed back in the bush.

Seth jabbed the doorbell, which started playing a funeral dirge before a skeleton hand shot from the wall and grabbed onto his wrist with a shriek. I chuckled. Hermione had warned me George was doing the decorating for the party, and to stay out of his way lest something terrible be directed at me. This must be one of many surprises this party is going to bring.

Entering the house I found George putting the finishing touches on a large spread of food, casting a creepy blood-colored mist over it, and I wondered if any of the food was actually safe to touch. He was dressed in a toga, and I would be willing to bet there was a large amount of unpleasant surprises hidden it its folds.

"No entrance without costumes!" he barked at us with a smile.

I saluted, held up the bag containing my 40's gangster costume, and hurried into the bathroom to change. Hermione had to stretch the costume to fit my height, but she did a good job despite what she says is her 'lack of housekeeping skills'. When I emerged Seth was walking downstairs from Hermione's side, wearing a vampire costume.

"Really?" I sighed while looking at him.

"Really," he beamed back, fake fangs and all. "Where's your girlfriend?"

"Coming!" Hermione called from upstairs, and a second later she appeared wearing a sexy little dress, holding a basket, and changing one of her cloaks to red and throwing it around her shoulders.

"Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood," Seth waved at her.

"You sure are looking good," George added with a sinister smile.

"Anyone who starts singing is going to get smacked on the side of the head!" Leah's voice warned from upstairs.

I opened my mouth to reply, but found I wasn't brave enough to send a retort her way. Soon after Snape moved into the house Leah came over to talk to me, they met properly, one thing lead to another, and the end result was the most unholy union known to man. I guess it fit in a way. Both were surly, but only on the outside. They were quick-witted and had sarcasm down to an art form. Even the age difference didn't bother me much anymore. Leah was cautious, but I could tell she was happy with him. She hadn't phased in over two weeks and was actually being nice to me. Still, I'm scared of both of them, and moved a little further away from the stairs as she and Snape appeared atop them. She was dressed like Wednesday Addams, but he didn't look much different- he had put on a big, billowing robe atop his usual high-necked suit.

"Aren't you supposed to dress like something you're not?" Seth asked him.

"I am no longer a teacher," Snape shot back. "And as I believe Halloween is more for frightening people..." he trailed off with a pointed look at George, who gulped and looked momentarily terrified.

"I feel like I'm going to wind up losing points from Gryffindor," he murmured. "Or earn a detention, or get smacked in the back of the head with a book, or..."

The phone rang, and George scurried to the other room with the distraction. Hermione rushed to the kitchen, the phone would only be ringing for her, and came back a few moments later with a smile.

"Could you take a walk with me, Jacob?" she asked, holding out her hand.

"Seriously?" Leah said with a look of disgust at me. "You can't wait until the end of the party?"

"What my lady wants," I shrugged. Hermione and I walked to the back door where I paused, felt a mischievous smile cross my face, and turned back towards Leah. "You're everything a big bad wolf could want!" I sang, and had to duck the popcorn ball she aimed at my head.

"Must you provoke her?" Hermione sighed as she steered me towards the darkening woods.

"It's so fun and so easy. You should try it sometime."

"I much prefer staying on Severus' good side, which a sane person would think involves keeping his girlfriend happy," she shook her head. We walked out of sight of the house and came across a small stream. Hermione perched on a boulder and scanned the woods, but apparently didn't see what she wanted to, so she wrapped her cloak around her against the dropping temperatures and appeared to settle down for a wait.

"You know, if you're cold, I know a way to warm you up," I smirked, taking her into my arms and pressing my body against hers.

"Are you bragging about body temperature or skill?" she shot back with a playful smile.

I gave her a peck on the lips. "I was saying my constant fever, I'll let you comment on the skill," I murmured against the skin of her neck before gently sucking on the spot where her neck meets her shoulder.

"In most situations I would be happy to indulge you, but I brought you out here for something," she said, gently pushing me backwards.

"Are you sure it's not something that can be postponed for a few minutes?"

"It's something I'm sure is watching us right now," she replied, studying my face.

"What...?" I started, but I stopped dead when I smelled it. Instinctively I turned, blocking Hermione with my body, crouched down and ready to phase. But I recognized that scent.

"You're pushing your luck, leech," I growled to a spot across the stream.

"I was invited, mutt," Jasper hissed back, stepping out from behind a tree. He was dressed up as a Revolutionary soldier, which was completely unsurprising but infinitely more annoying than just seeing him wearing street clothes.

"You need to warn me if you're going to let bloodsuckers stop by," I shot over my shoulder at Hermione.

"You never would have agreed, and I was going to do it anyways," she said, kissing my shoulder. I'm not about to admit out loud that she's right, and probably avoided a major argument by doing it her way.

"Yeah, but I could have decided that staying inside was a much better option."

"Why don't you shut up?" Jasper sighed in annoyance. "I'm just here as a guard."

"A guard for what?"

"You'll see. I'm going to make myself scarce. You always hated me more than anyone but Edward, if you haven't attacked by now I think you'll be fine."

"Care to join the party?" Hermione asked, sliding off the rock.

"Need an escort?" he asked, jumping across the stream, walking around me, and offering Hermione his arm.

"Gladly. Your eyes are better out here. I'm going to have to use my wand if I don't have someone preventing me from falling."

Irritated I watched him leading her away, but before they could disappear into the night I heard a soft voice behind me.

"Jacob?"

I closed my eyes, back going straight, air filling my lungs though I suddenly forgot how to expel it back out. I knew that voice. I had heard it on the phone, in all it's wrongness, and it sounds even worse here. Slowly I turned around, afraid of what I was going to see. She was standing on the other side of the stream, and I suppose she would have been more beautiful than I had ever seen her if her eyes weren't a strange mix of gold and crimson.

"Bella," I managed.

She smiled, the same slightly crooked smile she had while human. "It's good to see you again, Jacob."

I couldn't return the sentiment, not with her like that, so I grunted.

"I know this isn't how you wanted things to turn out with us..."

"There was never an us, Bella, and you should be happy for that. It would have been really bad had there been an us when Hermione showed up."

"I know," she smiled. "Things worked out in their own strange way, didn't they?"

"If you call that working out," I replied with a vague gesture at her newly immortal form.

"I do. I don't have to worry about getting hurt anymore, Jacob."

"You were always quite good at that," I was unable to suppress a small smile, which earned me a large one in return.

"I need to thank you..."

"Don't start. Please."

"Jake..." she smiled, shaking her head.

"Really, Bella. I don't need you thanking me, alright? I didn't do it for you. I did it for myself."

"I believe you, but it doesn't mean I didn't benefit from it."

"I told Charlie about you. Not everything, but enough. You should go see him."

"I was going to. Tomorrow, on his day off. Tonight I was going to spend with my best friend."

I looked at her and sighed. I missed having her as my best friend. I wish she had been more accessible when I was going through everything with my imprinting, someone to support me for the sake of wanting me happy. It would never be as close as it had been, but that doesn't mean we still couldn't be friends.

"You look like a freak show," I commented.

She smiled widely. "You should talk," she shot back, nodding at my costume.

"It's Halloween. Mine can and will come off at the end of the night. You're stuck looking like that."

"Will come off, then?" she cocked an eyebrow. "Things are going well with Hermione, I take it?"

"It'll stay on if she wants it on," I shrugged.

"Is she enjoying the house?"

"She loves it. I'll love it better when I move in at the end of the school year."

"Graduation present?"

"Exactly."

"Have you asked her to marry you yet?"

"Geez, Bells, it's only been a few months. Give her some time to prepare for it."

"But you're going to marry her," she said with a protective frown.

"Yes, boss," I nodded. She'd have to say yes, of course, and I'm going to wait a while to ask to give her some time for her crazy life to die down a little bit, but I have every intention of being at the end of the aisle when she walks down it to say her vows.

"Jacob..." she growled warningly.

"Just because you're older, and right now probably stronger doesn't mean you get to tell me what to do. You might be married and immortal, but I've still got a good ten years on you at least."

She laughed. "Now how do you figure that? My marriage has to count for, like, fifteen years."

"Fifteen!" I feigned horror as I reached out for her hand, and I didn't even flinch as her icy fingers wrapped around mine. We started walking towards the house, and her other hand came over to grab onto my arm as if she were still at risk for falling over nothing. "If anything you get like, five, and I get ten for my imprint."

"Five? You're crazy."

"Have you seen the success rate for teen marriages? You're crazy for getting married so young."

"Our marriage is different."

"Okay, I'll give you seven."

"Ten, at least. There are other things that come with a marriage that I'm now doing, and that should count for something."

"Any years you get for that I'm also going to get," I pointed out.

"Touche. What makes you think you get ten for the imprint?"

"I'm already thinking about what our babies are going to look like. I'm kind of wanting one."

"Don't you dare, Jacob Black. Marriage first, and you should probably be done with school..."

"Yeah, I know. Hermione isn't going to want one for a few years, anyways. But I'm starting to look forward to when it's going to happen."

"And you're going to practice until she agrees."

"Every chance I get."

We got to the house and stood outside the window, looking in at the party which was now in full swing. Hermione and Jasper were the hit of the moment, with him leading her in a swing dance, though to her credit she was keeping up with little problem. I think she likes someone else taking the lead on occasion, even if it is just for a dance. I realized that I was never going to get rid of the Cullens, that they were always going to be part of my life, and it wasn't just because of Bella. Hermione didn't put her trust and her efforts at friendship into just anyone, and when you get past the leech problem they aren't that bad a group of people.

"She looks happy," Bella commented.

"She just finished writing a book, starting up a company, and moving halfway around the world. She'll be going on a book-signing tour as soon as it's published, which is exciting to her because she gets to see the world and meet new people, then come home and think of her newest project to keep her insanely busy."

"I'm betting you're a big part of that look," she whispered.

"I hope so."

"I don't want to hate each other, Jake. I don't want to sit around and wonder what your life is like, I want you to be able to tell me. I want to see you when you finally get around to marrying her. I want to see your kids if you have any, at least pictures. I don't want to leave here tonight and think that's it."

I squeezed her hand. "It's not it. Maybe, over time, it'll get close to what it once was. Maybe it'll even get there. It'll take time, but this isn't it, Bells."

She hugged me before I could stop her. "I love you, Jake."

"I'd say it back, but you just made me stink," I frowned. "Does your husband know you hug me like that?"

"Under the circumstances I don't think he'll mind," she replied, squeezing me one more time before letting me go.

"Where is he?"

"He decided to stay away, he thought you might not be as willing to talk to me if he was there."

"He was right."

She sighed, annoyed.

"I mean it, Bells. I'll be able to deal with you long before I'll be able to deal with him, because I still hate him for what he did to you. I understand why he did it, but that doesn't mean I like it or I'm condoning it."

"Do you think that one day...?"

"It'll never be friendship, but one day I'll probably be able to look at him without the instant desire to kill him."

"I guess it's the best I can ask for."

Inside the music stopped, and Hermione, panting, collapsed into a chair, pretending to swoon. Jasper grabbed her hand and kissed it, then bowed and tipped his hat. She's gained a friend for life, and for a second I felt relief that he's already happily married. But then Hermione started looking around the room, eyes not stopping until they found mine. She smiled and beckoned me with a crook of her finger. And I smiled back, a lost man, hopelessly in love with the witch in front of me. And it felt pretty damn good.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: This is it, the end of this story. I loved it, and could have kept going, but I didn't want to drag it out for the sake of dragging it out. **

**Thanks to everyone who has stayed with it, for all the reviews, and all the support. Seriously, my readers are awesome.  
**

Sunlight streamed through the large window, falling onto my face and finally waking me up. I stretched and rolled over, though I wasn't surprised when my hand didn't hit my husband's warm body. Today was a Sunday, and he usually let me sleep in on Sundays, but this Sunday was special, my day according to the calendar. I'm honestly surprised I haven't been woken up with piles of chocolate-chip pancakes, a favorite for special occasions around here, along with fresh fruit, juice, milk, and coffee, along with a bouquet of flowers, and some hastily wrapped gifts, several of them home-made. Judging by several crashes and a fit of maniacal laughter I have a few minutes before my quiet room is invaded, so I decided I could wake up slowly.

I glanced across at the wall opposite my bed, which I'd be quick to admit that it's my favorite wall in the house. I went a little overboard with the pictures, each one carefully chosen to document a point in Jacob's and my relationship, arranged in a clock pattern because I have a talent, according to Ron, to over-think the littlest of things. The pictures start at the top with the earliest photos of Jacob and I, at Edward and Bella's wedding, hanging out on the beach in La Push, his prom. Next came the next phase of our relationship, when Jacob moved in, I was busy working, and I finally got him to agree to go to school to become a mechanic. And then the Fourth of July fireworks, when he proposed right before the first firework exploded, my reaction to the unexpected proposal caught on film highlighted in the bright green glow. I told him I'd marry him as soon as he was done with his schooling, and true to my word I married him the weekend after he graduated. The Cullens let us use Isle Esme for our honeymoon, and there were several pictures of us enjoying the night life in Brazil, lounging on the beach, or exploring the Amazon basin. Luckily Jacob was a presence enough to keep anything too dangerous away, but we still had fun and it instilled a sense of adventure in us. I was kept busy after returning promoting my book and the potions business, and I took Jacob with me, but after a while he felt anxious to get home and stay for a while. When we returned we were surprised to find an old, beat-up Ferarri in the drive, with a note asking Jacob if he could fix it up for Carlisle and a sizable check for the repair, with the spare to cover the cost of labor. Jacob mulled it over for a few days, but in the end he couldn't resist the classic and painstakingly took nursed it back to life until it looked like new, and he delivered it to a thrilled looking Carlisle, immediately taking an order from Jasper afterwards for a 67 Shelby he had in storage that he had been meaning to take classes on how to fix up but never got around to it. And with that, Jacob's hobby-turned-job was born. He searched junk yards and shady used car dealerships for classic cars in need of love, fixed them up, and sold them. And I was suddenly doing the books for two businesses, though with the Cullens as steady clients who often paid more for labor than the car was worth once fixed, and with Severus now in charge of several potions masters and recently awarded a patent on a new potion, money wasn't an issue, and often I'd fall behind on the books in favor of traveling somewhere new.

Of course, traveling was put on the back burner when, four years into our marriage, I became pregnant. Severus moved out quickly, he had no desire to live in the same house as something that randomly cried at all hours of the night, and, though I won't admit it out loud to anyone, I didn't blame him in the slightest. Sarah was a beautiful little girl, with her father's dark skin and hair, my eyes, and from what Billy and Jacob have said, her grandmother's spirit. And Jacob was a doting dad, if not nearly as strict as I, and it quickly became apparent that he loved Sarah almost as much as he loved me. And a couple years later we welcomed Cedric, a name I suggested when I thought of the turning point that led me to being well-known enough to be sent to America. Cedric, like his namesake, was friendly, intelligent, and fair-minded, definitely the more level-headed of our two, and Jacob is convinced he'll make a great Alpha if the time comes.

The kids were not only doted on by Billy and Charlie (who was their 'adopted grandpa'), they were also a favorite of the Cullens, who visited as often as Jacob would let them around, always laden with goodies for them, never failing to let us escape for a weekend away or a vacation. Bella was particularly fond of them, and entertained them with tales of when she and Jacob were younger, and seemingly more reckless. There were also pictures of them surrounded by Weasleys while we stayed the summer in the UK, by my parents and my magical family. It didn't take long for both of them to start displaying magic, and Sarah was due to head to Hogwarts for the first time in September, and I'm not looking forward to the time that they both have wands and some idea of how to shoot some kind of annoyance spell at each other. Having just the two of them in the house has given me an even higher level of respect for Mrs. Weasley, some days I'm ready to turn them both into ferrets so I can stick them in a cage and get some peace and quiet, how she did it with seven kids, including the twins, is nothing short of a miracle.

I had intentionally left what would have been the space between eleven and twelve blank, because I know we're just starting our journey and I'm constantly going to have more photos to add. As it is about once a year I have to sit down and edit, lest the pictures take over the wall.

The sound of stampeding elephants came up the stairs, and I sat up, waiting for them to come bursting into the room without a warning knock, and they did not disappoint. Cedric took his customary head-dive onto the bed, bouncing me up and down and I tried to turn my smile into a look of disappointment in his antics. Sarah, who is going through a phase common to those about to go to Hogwarts where she thinks that if she's old enough to leave for school she must be an adult, rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance, carrying in the tray of pancakes with her back straight and her head held high. I haven't the heart to remind her that, as a first year, she'll be one of what Ron not-so affectionately called 'midgets'.

"Happy Mother's Day!" Cedric sang, jumping on Jacob's side of the bed and preventing Sarah from putting the tray down.

"Hey, monkey," Jacob chuckled as he entered the room carrying three cups, the morning paper tucked under his arm, and flashing me his trademark lopsided smile that still somehow made me weak in the knees. "Down."

"Subtle, Jake," I smiled at him as Cedric, with an exaggerated groan, took a final giant bounce on his rear end and came to settle with his legs dangling off the side.

"He's a nine year-old boy, honey," he replied, sitting next to me. "The shorter, the better."

"One could argue the same about his father," I murmured so only he could hear, and he let off a bark of laughter.

"I'll let you give the commands later," he whispered into my ear, and despite the fact that we've been together over twenty years I still blushed.

"I made the pancakes, Mum," Sarah announced. Another thing she was picking up as she prepared to go to Hogwarts, a pseudo British accent, as she was the only American attending and she didn't want to be the one who 'sounded funny'.

"Thanks, sweetheart," I replied as she placed the tray in front of me.

"I also got you this," she said, thrusting a small wrapped box at me.

I took the box and opened it to find a carefully woven bracelet with the small wolf charm Jacob had given me so long ago hanging from it. The original band had worn, and while I kept repairing it with magic I had been hoping for something newer, but never got around to buying it. "It's beautiful," I smiled at her, reaching out to pull her into a tight hug, which she grudgingly accepted because no one but the family was around.

"I got you something, too. I got you something, too," Cedric chanted, waving his gift over his head like a trophy.

"Let's have it, then," I said, holding out my hands for the inevitable toss. I opened the gift to find the latest car racing game inside.

"It's so cool, mom," he said, crawling across the bed to show me the features. "You can choose from fifteen different cars, on twenty different tracks, and they've got turbo boosters..."

"You'll have to show me how to play it soon," I said, ruffling his hair.

"Yeah, I will," he nodded enthusiastically.

"Alright, you two, lets give Mom some quiet time to read her paper and eat."

"I wanna play the game!" Cedric announced.

"No, sir, it's Mom's game. You can play later when she comes downstairs."

"Aw, man."

"What you two can do is go downstairs and clean up that kitchen."

Sarah's jaw fell open. "But there's so many dirty dishes!" she exclaimed.

"Which Mom would probably rather not see, so why don't you high-tail it down there and get them done?"

"This stinks," Cedric grumbled as they left.

"I could have used magic to clean it later," I said after I heard them starting to clean.

"Yeah, but this way it gives us ten minutes of cleaning time, and maybe twenty minutes of dawdling time, all to ourselves," he smiled, leaning over and giving me a prolonged kiss on my neck.

"You can't wait until tonight?" I laughed, double-checking the door to make sure I didn't see any little pairs of eyes looking in and preparing to proclaim how gross it is that their parents are showing each other affection.

"I can, and I will, at least until three when Billy shows up."

"But you still won't tell me what I have in store for me tonight?"

"Despite what you thought at Hogwarts, it's not always good to know everything. Part of the allure of a surprise is, you know, being surprised," he laughed. I could watch that smile all day, it still was a charmer after all these years, though to be fair it hadn't changed much. Jacob hadn't phased in three years, but in the years leading up to it he stayed relatively the same, and it was only when I was starting to feel self-conscious about looking older while he didn't age that he decided to stop phasing and start aging. I still look older, but at least now he's got a wrinkle and doesn't make me look like I still have a thing for college boys.

"It's nice of Billy, Charlie, and Sue to take them tonight," I said, taking a bite of the pancakes.

"Well, they don't have more than a few weeks before we go to England for the summer, and when we come back Sarah won't be with us, so really they're just getting as much time as they can before they're left alone to do whatever the old folks do for fun around here."

"Speaking of old folks..." I started, biting my lip.

"Did you say hello to Jasper for me?" he sighed.

"I put it much more politely than 'hey, leech'."

"But that's what I'd say."

"Jacob..."

"Fine. How are my favorite group of para... how are the Cullens?"

"They're doing well, and they've decided to spend the summer in London, and are expecting to spend much of it with the kids."

"Wonderful," he said, though not as sarcastically as he once did. There would never be love there, at least when it came to any of them but Bella, but he was much better about tolerating them, though I'll never be able to stop the insults.

"Bella wants to know if she, Edward, Alice, and Jasper could take them to France for a week."

"Just them?"

"No, they want us to come, too. Bella says she misses you, and that she knows a beautiful little lane to go motorcycling down."

He beamed. "It is nice to ride the bikes without worrying about what bone she's going to break this time."

"So that's a yes?"

"I guess."

"Wonderful," I said, finishing my pancakes and putting the tray on the floor. I leaned against him, our arms wrapping around each other, and smiled.

"I was talking to Billy," he said after a long moment.

"About what?"

"Well, the kids are getting older. Sarah's going to Hogwarts, and Cedric is only a few years away from it. Perhaps it's time we consider making our summer move over there a permanent one."

"But won't Billy be upset? Paul and Rachel just moved to Virginia, I'd hate for him to be over here alone."

"I was thinking he wouldn't be. I was thinking he'd rather like England."

I sat up and looked at him. I had been thinking about permanently moving home, but it seemed so much better for us to stay put since I traveled so much easier than he did. I had mentioned it once a while back, but talked myself out of it in front of him and thought that was the end of the conversation. Obviously he had been thinking about it a lot. "Are you serious?" I asked in a whisper.

"We'll probably have to do the big move once Sarah is at school, but, yeah, I think it's about time."

I threw myself at him and kissed him. "Thank you," I whispered.

"I think we may even have to get the blood, er, the Cullens here to help with the move."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Who else is going to be able to remember the insanity behind your wall?" he said with a nod at my pictures.

"Hey, I love those!"

"I know. I love them, too. But you have to admit, no sane person can figure out the logic behind where each one goes."

"Oh, shut up," I huffed, playfully punching his chest.

He pulled me down for another prolonged kiss. "Happy Mother's Day," he muttered against my lips.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you. Always," he replied, the same words he said every time after I told him I loved him. We lay there in each others' arms, knowing that in a few minutes we'd have to go clean up the mess the kids left while cleaning up the kitchen, but just enjoying each other for a while.


End file.
